BEIJING: President Xi Jinping is visiting Russia on Monday in hopes of a breakthrough on Ukraine as China seeks to position itself as a peacemaker.
Freshly reappointed for a third term in power, Xi is playing a bigger role for China on the world stage and was instrumental in brokering a surprise rapprochement between Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia this month. were
Rumors that he may soon hold his first meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since the start of the war have raised hopes in Western capitals that Xi will return to his “old country” during a three-day official visit to stop his bloody offensive. “Friends” can lean on Putin.
Announcing the trip on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China would “play a constructive role in promoting peace talks”.
Wang Yiwei, director of the Beijing Institute of International Affairs, said that everyone wants to stop the war, because Europe has a lot to lose and the United States cannot support Ukraine as long as it thinks it can. can do. Renmin University of China.
“China can present its views from both sides – it can say that it is a reliable friend of both Ukraine and Russia. I think that is very important.”
Beijing, a key Russian ally, has long sought to portray itself as a neutral side in the conflict.
But he has refused to condemn Russia’s attack and has sharply criticized Washington’s support for Kiev – leading Western leaders to accuse Beijing of using Russia to pressure its European neighbour. Providing Diplomatic Corps.
“Beijing has so far done little to encourage peace in Ukraine because any credible effort would have to put pressure on Russia or at least directly invoke Russia,” said Elizabeth Vishnik, a professor and U.S. said a Chinese foreign policy expert at Montclair State University.
Xi’s visit – which comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday announced an arrest warrant for Putin on war crimes charges – is aimed at “providing any assistance to our strategic partner”. It has to show that it can provide, the lack of that support can result in sanctions”. he told JEE News.
Eyes on Xi’s proposal to resolve Ukraine issue
To play a role as a peacemaker, China published a 12-point position paper on the Ukraine war last month, calling for dialogue and respect for the territorial sovereignty of all countries.
Beijing has also emphasized its Global Security Initiative (GSI), a key Xi policy aimed at “promoting sustainable peace and development”.
Both documents have angered the West for dwelling on broad principles rather than practical solutions to the crisis.
Jae Ian Chong, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said China’s recent diplomacy over the war served to “highlight” the GSI and “create momentum for its foreign policy and re-engagement with the world”. appears.
“Whether [China] is really stepping up its efforts to build peace in a meaningful way will depend on whether the leaders of Ukraine and Russia are willing to do so,” said Chong, who specializes in Beijing’s international relations. What do you suggest during meetings?
“His previous peace plan was more about general principles than actionable proposals.”
Chinese arbitration
Beijing’s efforts to portray itself as an international mediator were front and center this month as it oversaw a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran that restored diplomatic ties.
It later emerged that Xi himself offered China to act as a “bridge” between his rivals, challenging Washington’s longstanding role as the main external mediator in the Middle East.
“The brokering of [the Saudi-Iran deal] adds to the Chinese government’s narrative of being a positive global player promoting peace and cooperation that Washington has allegedly destabilized,” said Audrey Wong, assistant professor at the University of Southern California. It contradicts the actions taken.”
Renmin University’s Wang said, citing China’s “limited” influence over Moscow and US support for Kiev, but stopping the firefight in Ukraine would be “somewhat harder” than the Saudi-Iran deal.
He suggested that Beijing could help usher in a “Korean War-style truce” that halts fighting but further downplays questions of territorial sovereignty.
But Vishnik of Montclair State said Ukraine is “unlikely to accept China as a mediator because it is not seen as neutral or neutral”.
“Xi Jinping may be desperate for diplomatic breakthroughs, but I don’t see any on the horizon for Ukraine,” he said.
“Neither side is ready to give up hope yet for territorial gains on the battlefield.”
