While Xi calls Kyiv, mediation still missing
China reiterates its views, offering to send its former ambassador to Ukraine Li Hui as a go-between with Moscow “for in-depth communication”. After a faux pas over former Soviet republics, China expresses its support for theirs and Ukraine’s territorial integrity to bolster its own claim over its borders. Pope Francis and Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal meet and discuss ways talk of "efforts to restore peace.”
Milan (AsiaNews/Agencies) – After more than a year, Beijing called Kyiv, offering to send China’s former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, as "the Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs to Ukraine and other countries to have in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis”.
Putting aside Chinese media rhetoric about Beijing playing peacemaker while others play political arsonists, reports about yesterday's phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymir Zelensky, are much about nothing.
The phone call, initiated reportedly by Ukraine and welcomed by China, did not go beyond reiterating Xi’s February 12-point peace plan, and its statements of principle, including support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, without much to say about Russia’s invasion 14 months ago.
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, China has been wary of any escalation. Instead, despite its “no-limits” partnership with Russia, which Xi reiterated in his last meeting in Moscow with Vladimir Putin, Beijing has focused on its own interests rather than to provide political support for Russia.
With respect to Ukraine, bilateral Sino-Ukrainian relations before the war had reached important levels. As part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese investments in infrastructure totalled some US$ 2 billion between 2019 and 2021.
“I believe that our conversation today will give a powerful impetus to the return, preservation and development of this dynamic at all levels,” reads a statement on the website of the Ukrainian president.
Although “China [. . .] is it a party to the crisis,” reads the press release of China’s Foreign Ministry, it will “not sit idly by, nor [. . .] add oil to the fire, still less exploit the situation for self-gains”.
This suggests that Beijing wants to be seen as playing honest broker, claiming a seat at any future negotiating table.
This said, China’s Foreign Ministry has also sent another signal, this time to the countries of Central Asia. “China will, as always, firmly support Central Asian countries in safeguarding (their) national sovereignty, independence, security and territorial integrity,” Foreign Minister Qin Gang said at a meeting with his counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the city of Xian.
This comes after its ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, questioned the sovereignty of the former Soviet republics in an interview on French television on 21 April, a view Beijing disowned.
In practice, no solution to the conflict in Ukraine has been found. Some encouragement came today following a meeting in the Vatican between Pope Francis and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
In a press release, the Holy See Press Office noted that “cordial discussions” covered “various matters connected to the war in Ukraine [. . .], with particular attention to the humanitarian aspects and efforts to restore peace.”
Against this background, the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima (19-21 May) is set to put Asia in the spotlight. And some observers wonder if the phone call between Xi Jinping and Zelensky might pave the way for US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to visit Beijing after his scheduled trip in February was cancelled due to the spy balloon incident.
Still, yesterday's phone call gave Xi Jinping one important thing. On his website, President “Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed Ukraine's unwavering position on adherence to the "One China" policy. This goes to show that when it comes to territorial integrity China always looks closer to home.
RED LANTERNS IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO THE CHINA. TO RECEIVE A WEEKLY UPDATE EVERY THURSDAY, CLICK HERE.
.png)
23/04/2019 14:35
14/11/2022 18:47
