Fluent in Russian, Li Hui is the highest-ranking Chinese language official to go to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
A high-ranking Chinese language envoy begins a European tour that may take him first to Ukraine after which to Russia. The journey, in keeping with Beijing, is aimed toward discussing a “political settlement” of the Ukrainian disaster.
Li Hui, China’s Particular Consultant for Eurasian Affairs since 2019 and a former ambassador to Russia, can even go to Poland, France and Germany in a multi-day journey, the international ministry mentioned final week, “for in-depth communication with varied events with a purpose to political settlement of the Ukrainian disaster”.
Li, who speaks fluent Russian, is the highest-ranking Chinese language official to go to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and his journey may coincide with the beginning of Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive to retake captured and occupied territory. throughout Russia.
The go to comes after Chinese language President Xi Jinping had a phone dialog together with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky late final month in what was the primary recognized telephone name between the 2 leaders in the course of the battle.
Zelensky known as the hour-long name “lengthy and significant” and Xi mentioned China’s “fundamental place is to advertise peace by way of negotiations.”
On the primary anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, China launched a 12-point peace proposal – “China’s Place on the Political Decision of the Ukraine Disaster” – that was met with some skepticism in Western capitals, given Beijing’s ties to Russia. He urged “each side” to comply with a gradual de-escalation and abandon the “chilly battle mentality”.
Beijing has in a roundabout way condemned Moscow for the invasion, which comes lower than three weeks after the 2 nations dedicated to a “borderless” partnership. In March, Xi traveled to Moscow to satisfy with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the 2 males signed an settlement to maneuver relations between their two nations right into a “new period.”
Li has devoted his whole diplomatic profession to working with the Soviet Union, Russia, and the post-Soviet states since becoming a member of the International Ministry’s Division of Soviet and Japanese European Affairs in 1975.
Following the telephone name between Xi and Zelensky, a number of European leaders, together with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, visited Beijing and urged China to play a extra energetic function in containing Moscow’s strikes.
Kyiv has dominated out the thought of any territorial concessions to Russia and has mentioned it needs each inch of its land again. Russia invaded after which annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 — a transfer broadly denounced on the time — and introduced final September that it had annexed 4 extra japanese Ukrainian areas.
