Xi: Special envoy will visit Ukraine

In phone call with Zelensky, president reiterates need for political settlement

China will send a special representative on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communications with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, reiterating that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable way out of the crisis.

Xi made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both leaders exchanged views on bilateral ties and the Ukraine crisis.

Xi said that the complex evolution of the Ukraine crisis has had a major impact on the international landscape. Regarding the crisis, China has always stood on the side of peace, and its core position is to promote peace through talks, he said.

China did not create the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the crisis, Xi said. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major country, China would not sit idly by, add oil to the fire or exploit the situation for self-gain, he said.

Everything China does is aboveboard, Xi told Zelensky.

Noting that there would be no winner in a nuclear war, Xi said that all parties must stay calm and exercise restraint, truly act in the interests of their own future and that of humanity, and jointly manage the crisis.

With rational thinking and voices now on the rise, Xi stressed the need to seize the opportunity to build up favorable conditions for political settlement of the crisis.

Xi reiterated that China remains committed to facilitating peace talks and will make efforts for an early cease-fire and restoration of peace.

China has sent multiple shipments of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and will continue providing help to the best of its ability, he added.

China issued a position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis in February. Xi has emphasized facilitating peace talks to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on many occasions, including during his meetings with foreign leaders who have visited China in recent months, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

On bilateral ties, Xi said that China-Ukraine relations, after 31 years of development, have reached a level of strategic partnership, boosting development and revitalization of the two countries.

Xi commended Zelensky for stating, on multiple occasions, the importance the Ukrainian leader attaches to developing the bilateral relationship and advancing cooperation with China, and he thanked the Ukrainian side for its strong assistance in the evacuation of Chinese nationals last year.

Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the political foundation of China-Ukraine relations, he said.

No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work with Ukraine to advance mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said.

Zelensky said that China upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in international affairs and has significant influence on the international stage.

Ukraine is committed to the one-China policy and hopes to advance all-around bilateral cooperation with China, open a new chapter in Ukraine-China relations and jointly safeguard world peace and stability, he said.

Zelensky thanked China for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and welcomed China's important role in restoring peace.

Shortly after the phone conversation, Zelensky tweeted: "I had a long and meaningful phone call with President Xi Jinping. I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine's ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations."

Zelensky named a former Cabinet minister as Ukraine's new ambassador to Beijing, Reuters reported on Wednesday.