Chinese special envoy begins trip to Russia, Ukraine and the EU
China’s Special Envoy on Eurasian Affairs begins talks in Russia and Europe today.
Special Representative Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and France in a second round of shuttle diplomacy to seek a political settlement to the war in Ukraine.
In May 2023, Li Hui also visited Russia and the EU to promote gradual de-escalation and communications. Since then, diplomatic talks between Russia, Ukraine and other European countries have stalled.
It is expected that China will seek to pool consensus towards its 12-point peace plan in a bid to increase its geopolitical influence. However, EU countries are likely to push back on some points, such as territorial concessions to Russia, and welcome others, such as containment of the conflict. In the mid to long-term, China will be necessary to broker peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but the current lack of international credibility means China will need to review their stance and work closely with the EU, a move that is unlikely due to soured tensions recently.
