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China to send special envoy to Russia and Ukraine to finalise a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis

China’s foreign ministry announced on Friday that it will be sending a special envoy, Li Hui, to Russia and Ukraine next week to help finalize a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Moscow, will also visit France, Germany, and Poland, according to the foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin. While China has declared neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it has a “no limits” relationship with Moscow and has blamed NATO and the United States for provoking the conflict. China has put forward a peace plan for Ukraine that has been largely dismissed by supporters of the country, who believe that a resolution can only be reached when Russia stops its attacks and withdraws its troops from Ukrainian territory.

Last month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, setting the stage for the diplomatic push. “The visit of the Chinese representative to relevant countries expresses China’s commitment to promoting peace and negotiations,” Wang said at a daily briefing on Friday, adding that China wishes to prevent an “escalation of the situation.” While Chinese officials have not released Li Hui’s detailed schedule, his visit to Russia and Ukraine is expected to begin next week.

In the past, China has avoided involvement in conflicts with other countries, but it appears that the country is trying to project itself as a global diplomatic force after it acted as a mediator in talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March and arranged talks between the two nations that led to the restoration of diplomatic relations after a seven-year break. China shares friendly ties with Moscow and is the biggest buyer of Russian gas and oil after the United States and its allies ended most purchases.

China, which considers Russia a diplomatic partner in opposing the United States’ domination over global affairs, has not criticized Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and has used its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to deflect diplomatic attacks made on Russia. Wang confirmed that Wang Yi, the top diplomat of the ruling Communist Party, held talks with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday and Thursday in Vienna, Austria. The two nations had “candid, in-depth, substantive, and constructive discussions” on improving and stabilizing bilateral relations, according to Wang.

The relations between China and the United States have hit a historical low and worsened in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the US while flying over the United States and Canada. Because of the incident, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing was postponed and has not been rescheduled.

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