Envoy's visit to promote Ukraine peace talks

China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, will visit Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia starting from Monday to exchange views with various parties on a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Li, who served as China's ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019, will be the highest ranking Chinese diplomat to travel to Ukraine since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv started in February 2022.

"This upcoming visit by the Chinese representative again reflects China's commitment to promoting peace talks and staying on the side of peace," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a daily news conference on Friday.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, China has been upholding an objective and just position and has been actively pushing for peace talks, the spokesman said.

The current crisis in Ukraine is prolonged and escalating, and spillover effects are emerging, Wang said, adding that the voices for a cease fire are growing in the international community.

China will continue to play a constructive role and build more international consensus on ending hostilities, starting peace talks and preventing escalation of the situation, and help facilitate a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, he said.

The special envoy's visit was first announced by President Xi Jinping during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month, the first contact between the two heads of states since the outbreak of the crisis.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China has been making a series of diplomatic efforts to seek a political solution.

In February, China issued a 12-point position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, which included calls to respect the sovereignty of all countries, resume peace talks, resolve the humanitarian crisis, facilitate grain exports and stop unilateral sanctions.