China reaffirms need for Ukraine peace talks

Building trust key to ending crisis, says special envoy after high-level Kyiv meetings

China has reaffirmed its stance on a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and called on various parties to create the conditions for a ceasefire and peace talks, as its special representative on Eurasian affairs Li Hui wrapped up a visit to Kyiv on May 17.

During his two-day visit, Li held separate talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and other senior officials.

The two sides agreed to work together to continue the tradition of mutual respect and advance mutually beneficial cooperation.

Li’s visit came three weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Zelensky, during their first telephone conversation since the outbreak of the conflict, that China would send an envoy to Kyiv. Li will also visit Poland, France, Germany and Russia.

“There is no panacea for resolving the crisis. All parties need to do their part to build up mutual trust and create conditions for peace talks and ending the conflict,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement quoted Li as saying.

Li said that China would like to encourage the international community to find the broadest common understanding on the settlement of the Ukraine crisis and make its contribution to restoring peace.

China has always played a constructive role in alleviating the humanitarian situation in Ukraine in its own way and will continue to provide aid to the country within its capacity, Li added.

According to the statement, the Ukrainian side said that it attaches great importance to China’s role in international affairs as a permanent member of the United Nations Security

Council, and welcomes Beijing playing an active role in pushing for ending hostilities and restoring peace.

Ukraine always adheres to the oneChina principle and is willing to work together with China to promote the continued and greater development of bilateral relations, the statement said.

On May 18, in response to the expansion of NATO during the Ukraine crisis, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news conference that Ukraine should not be turned into the frontier in a major power confrontation.

“Under current circumstances, all sides need to remain calm, exercise restraint, and avoid taking any action that might further escalate or complicate the crisis,” he added.

Xu Poling, director of the Department of Russian Economy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that Li’s visit is an example of China’s peaceful diplomacy, demonstrating Beijing’s consistent commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.

It is not so easy to achieve peace but there is always hope, Xu said.