China to send envoy on second round of shuttle diplomacy on Ukraine crisis

China will send a special envoy to conduct the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement for the Ukraine crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Wednesday.

Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France, Mao said.

The trip by the Chinese special envoy comes shortly after the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The pressing priority now is to restore peace, Mao told a regular press briefing in Beijing. If peace talks can be started one day earlier, the losses will be reduced by one day, she said.

"Over the past two years, we have never given up making efforts to promote peace and talks," said Mao, adding that China has had in-depth communication with different countries, including Russia and Ukraine, and has played a constructive role in dealing with the crisis.

China issued a position paper titled China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis on February 24, 2023, the first anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, systematically elaborating on Beijing's stance in 12 points.

The Chinese special envoy last May visited Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union, and Russia in his first round of shuttle diplomacy on the crisis.

"China did not sit idly by, neither added fuel to the fire nor profited from it," Mao stressed on Wednesday when commenting on the crisis.

"Everything we do leads to one goal, which is to build consensus for ending the war and pave the way for peace talks," she said.

China will continue to play its unique role, conduct shuttle diplomacy and build consensus among all parties, contributing Chinese wisdom to promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, she added.

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(Cover: Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui attends a briefing about his visit to Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, the EU headquarters and Russia in Beijing, China, June 2, 2023. /Xinhua)