The Ukrainian capital is the first stop on a five-nation European tour by Mr Li, including Poland, France, Germany and Russia, as he seeks a “ political solution” to the Ukraine crisis, according to China’s Foreign Ministry.
Chinese Special Envoy Li Hui. Photo: SCMP
Earlier, Reuters also reported that China's special representative for Eurasian affairs will be in Kiev on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing a Ukrainian government source.
Mr Li's visit comes three weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would send a special envoy to Kiev.
Ahead of Mr Li's visit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that Ukraine should set out core principles for any solution.
The head of the EU executive referred to the 10-point peace plan proposed by Mr Zelenskyy in November, which included demands for Russia to withdraw its troops, restore security around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and restore Ukraine's state border with Russia.
The EU has been calling on China to play a more active role in helping end the conflict in Ukraine. In an interview with the Washington Post on Saturday, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell called Li’s trip “a new step forward for China,” following an April 26 phone call between Xi and Zelensky.
In February, China proposed its own Ukraine peace plan, which focuses on finding a “political solution” through negotiations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the delegation led by Mr. Li, a former Chinese ambassador to Russia from 2009 to 2019, was “another demonstration of Beijing’s commitment to promoting peace and negotiations.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang discussed the war in Ukraine when he visited France and Germany last week, pledging to strengthen cooperation with France to “address global challenges”.
Hoang Nam (according to TASS, Bloomberg, SCMP)
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