The phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could address two issues in increasingly tense Sino-European relations.
One is the recent confusion caused by China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, who appears to question the sovereignty of Ukraine and other former Soviet states. Another is the long-term question of the extent to which Mr. Xi’s close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has reduced China’s credibility in the eyes of former Soviet states, which China has long sought to befriend but has in the past A year later, the latter has clearly moved closer to the United States.
The roughly hour-long conversation between Xi Jinping and Zelensky on Wednesday did not completely dispel all grievances against China in Europe. But it gives Beijing some breathing room to continue trying to resolve issues that have strained relations between Europe and China. It also presents an opportunity for Xi to try to reduce the solidarity between the United States and Europe that has been strengthened by mutual support for Ukraine, or at least assuage European doubts about China’s ability to act as a credible diplomatic player.
After the phone conversation between Xi Jinping and Zelensky, China said it would send a special envoy to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.
The operation could begin as early as this weekend, when Li Hui, China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, travels to Ukraine, France and other European countries, where he will work with officials to bring Russia and Ukraine to the table, according to people familiar with the matter table.
The Chinese government believes that it is capable of playing a mediating role in the negotiations with European countries, especially France. But with the war expected to intensify in the spring as Ukraine tries to retake territory held by Russia, many Western countries see little chance of a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine anytime soon.
Mr Xi encouraged French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently visited China, to pursue Europe’s “strategic autonomy”, which means Europe will take a different course from the US on geopolitical issues. During his visit to China, Macron made a clear call for strategic independence, especially stating that Europe should avoid being involved in the Sino-US conflict over the Taiwan issue, which won China’s appreciation.
By playing a central role in efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine, Xi could also give further impetus to efforts to polarize the United States and Europe, especially if disagreements begin among Western powers over which terms of a potential settlement are acceptable.
Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer in China and Russia at the University of New South Wales, said: “China sees an opportunity, but I don’t think Xi Jinping is looking to mediate and stop the Russia-Ukraine war because he understands that Russia and Ukraine None are ready to negotiate.”
Korolev noted that one possible benefit of China’s more active role in mediating the Ukraine crisis would be “the opportunity to slightly aggravate the possible deterioration of relations between the United States and Western Europe, especially the United States and France.”
When Li Hui travels to Ukraine and other regions in a few days’ time, he is expected to meet with Zelensky and hold high-level talks with French officials to underscore China’s willingness to cooperate and foster dialogue with European partners, the people said. .
China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Li Hui’s travel arrangements.
Li Hui, 70, is one of China’s highest-ranking diplomats. He has been deeply involved in various exchanges and contacts between China, Russia and Europe. His work history in this area can be traced back to the Soviet Union. Li Hui served as China’s ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019, and both Russia and Ukraine awarded him the Medal of Friendship.
If China wants to present itself as a good-faith mediator, it will have to contend with the perception among Ukrainian supporters that Mr. Xi has a closer relationship with Mr. Putin. Xi and Putin, who have met 40 times as leaders of their respective countries, have forged a deep friendship; last year, at a summit in Beijing days before Russia invaded Ukraine, the two declared “no conflicts” between China and Russia. upper limit” partnership.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Xi planned to hold a phone call with Zelensky after his trip to Moscow. But in the weeks following his meeting with Putin, Xi did not speak to Zelensky. During that time, Xi hosted visits to China by several European leaders in Beijing, including the leaders of Spain, France and the European Commission, as well as the German foreign minister, who all called on Xi to speak to Zelensky.
The fact that the call did not materialize has drawn doubts from the outside world, and recent remarks by the Chinese ambassador to France have intensified suspicion of Beijing’s position across the European continent. China’s ambassador to France suggested in interviews that Ukraine and other former Soviet states may not have legitimate sovereign state status from the perspective of international law. Beijing was quick to distance itself from that claim.
Now that Xi has spoken with Zelensky on the phone, China has taken arguably the most concrete step to flesh out its move to broker negotiations to end the war, after first releasing a 12-point position paper in February.
China’s 12-point position paper, which does not specify how the parties might reach an agreement, has been coldly received by the U.S. and Europe, with some U.S. and European officials noting in particular the similarities between many of China’s positions and Russian statements about the war . China has responded to the criticism, saying the United States is bent on perpetuating the Russia-Ukraine conflict and fanning it by sending military aid to Kiev.
It was unclear whether Wednesday’s phone call between Xi and Zelensky would change Ukrainian supporters’ views on China’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.
U.S. officials responded to Xi’s phone call with Zelensky on Wednesday with a slightly different tone than before. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters the call was “a good thing” — in a way that it helped Chinese officials “see this unprovoked Russian campaign through the lens of Ukraine.” unlawful intrusion”.
In France and Europe, previous outrage over Lu Shaye’s comments has persisted, despite attempts by the Chinese government to appease. Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argued that the call, even if it was organized before Mr. Lu’s remarks, at least changed the communication. Statements from both sides made no mention of the outrage surrounding Mr. Lu’s remarks.
Umarov said that for Xi Jinping, the greatest value of this dialogue is to show that China is involved in the Ukraine issue.
“With regard to the Ukraine war, Xi Jinping wants to maintain the attitude that China has taken from the beginning, China wants to appear as a neutral country, ostensibly to bring peace to the region,” Umarov said. “However, the reality is that China does not want to be overly involved. If we look closely at their statements, we can see that there is nothing new.”
2023-04-28 03:56:00
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