China appoints ex-ambassador to Russia for Ukraine settlement talks
3 Min Read
China appoints its former ambassador to Russia as the head of the talks on the resolution to the Ukraine crisis.
-
Deputy Director of Department of Eurasia of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yu Jun, left, speaks during a news conference in Beijing, China, April 26, 2023 (AP)
The special representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, who served as the Chinese Ambassador to Russia for a decade starting in 2009, will be heading China's delegation to Ukraine and other countries for consultations on the war's political settlement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
China Central Television (CCTV) announced earlier in the day that Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president stated that his chat with Xi was "long and meaningful" and that it will offer a tremendous boost to bilateral ties.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Wednesday that Beijing would send a representative to Ukraine and other nations in order to engage in consultations on the political settlement of the crisis.
Read next: China urges Russia, Ukraine to hold talks, warns against using nukes
According to the spokesperson, China has always taken a stance of peace in regard to the situation in Ukraine, as she went on to say that the phone call between Xi and Zelensky was initiated by the Ukrainian side.
"Yes," a Chinese Foreign Ministry representative said, commenting on whether Li would head the delegation from China.
Beijing, however, did not specify the exact date of when the Chinese diplomat would visit Ukraine, though the deputy director of the ministry's Department of European-Central Asian Affairs, Yu Jun, told a press conference that the department would provide the relevant information in due time.
On February 24, China issued a 12-point position paper on Ukraine that highlighted all the steps required to reach a "political settlement".
These include respecting the sovereignty of all countries, abandoning the Cold War mentality, ceasing hostilities, resuming peace talks, resolving the humanitarian crisis, protecting civilians and POWs, keeping nuclear power plants safe, reducing strategic risks, facilitating grain exports, stopping unilateral sanctions, keeping industrial and supply chains stable, and promoting post-conflict reconstruction.
Because the plan did not specify that Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine, the West accused China of an attempt to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty at the expense of Russia's.
Beijing has already dismissed these claims as false, with top diplomat Wang Yi saying China will continue to stand firmly on the side of dialogue and peace, and will not seek to fuel escalations nor remain a bystander.
