Focus on Arts and Ecology

 April 28, 2023

Ever since Xi Jinping visited Moscow in March, anticipation had been building about a possible contact between the Chinese president and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

All speculation ended on April 26. President Xi spoke by telephone with Zelenskyy and assured him that China will always stand on the side of peace. He said China's core stance is to facilitate talks to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

President Xi also told Zelenskyy he would send a special envoy to Ukraine and other countries to talk with all parties about a political settlement. The diplomat is Li Hui, who served as China's ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019.

Zelenskyy welcomed China's search for a diplomatic solution and thanked President Xi for providing humanitarian assistance. He said the call was "long and meaningful" and predicted it would give a "powerful impetus" to bilateral relations. Afterwards, he announced the appointment of a new ambassador to Beijing, Pavlo Ryabikin.

Analysts suggest China is positioned well to help bring an end to the crisis because it maintains open dialogue and good relations with both sides. CGTN special commentator Keith Lamb notes, "Unlike other powers, China does not feed the conflict with armament sales, nor does it put pressure on the actors involved to continue fighting."

(Sources: China Report)