BEIJING: Despite the stalemate in the Ukraine crisis and the gloomy prospects for peace, efforts to build consensus through face-to-face dialogue, as well as ending hostilities through political means, remain crucial, as highlighted by China’s recent diplomatic practices.
Li Hui, the Chinese government’s special representative on Eurasia affairs, concluded on Tuesday an 11-day shuttle diplomacy trip that took him to Russia and the European Union headquarters in Brussels, as well as Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France.
It was the second time within a year that the Chinese diplomat made such a trip to the region. The latest trip came at a time when the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has headed into its third year, and global expectations are high for an early achievement of peace.
Paving the way for ending the conflict and starting peace talks was the focus of Li’s shuttle diplomacy, and he reiterated during the trip China’s support for hosting, at a proper time, an international peace conference that would ensure the equal participation of all parties.
China’s mediation endeavor is timely and significant, as the crisis has caused global damage and is very likely to escalate, observers said.
They also said that the visit has shown China’s responsibility as a major country and its willingness and ability to play a balanced and rational role regarding the crisis, and that such a role is what Europe expects.
Zhao Huirong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said Li’s trip reflects that China hopes to hear the voice of various parties involved in the conflict and address their concerns, in order to bridge differences.
It also shows an open attitude as well as a continuity of China’s policy concerning the crisis, she said.
When giving a briefing on Li’s visit, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that great importance was attached to the visit, and “China’s efforts to promote peace talks were appreciated by various parties”. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
