Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call Wednesday, sharing plans to send a peace envoy to Ukraine amid the country’s war with Russia.
China, which claims to be neutral in the conflict, has not spoken out against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Beijing has said it wants to be a mediator between the countries. Xi met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month.
“China will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” the Chinese government said in a statement Wednesday, according to state media.
China appointed a former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, as the envoy, according to CNN. It is unclear if Russia is among the other countries he will visit.
Zelenskyy confirmed he spoke with Xi in what was their first phone conversation since the invasion, CNN reported.
“I had a long and meaningful phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping,” Zelenskyy said Wednesday. “I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.”
Russia and China previously described having a “no limits friendship.” On Wednesday, state media said of Xi’s conversation with Zelenskyy, “Negotiation is the only viable way out.”
“There is no winner in a nuclear war,” stated the report. “All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained in dealing with the nuclear issue and truly look at the future and destiny of themselves and humanity as a whole and work together to manage the crisis.”