(Dan Tri) – China’s recent moves have opened up the opportunity to peacefully resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict with Beijing’s role as mediator.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters).
The Kremlin’s announcement on March 17 said that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia for 3 days from March 20-22.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also confirmed Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia.
The Wall Street Journal also reported earlier this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping may have an online meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his visit to Russia.
These moves come weeks after China proposed a 12-point peace plan to resolve the conflict in the European country.
China’s mediation efforts
Experts say that China may be trying to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table after more than a year of conflict.
According to Reuters, China often respects the principle of non-intervention in conflicts of other countries, especially those far from Chinese territory.
`Xi Jinping wants to be seen on the international stage as a politician with at least as much influence as the US leader,` said Wang Jiangyu, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong.
Analysts say the mediation effort is a low-effort step that could bring many benefits to China, although a quick breakthrough is unlikely.
China calls on both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation, thereby leading to a comprehensive ceasefire in a 12-point plan on `political solution to the Ukraine crisis`.
China’s plan received welcome from both Russia and Ukraine, while the US and NATO were skeptical.
The US said China publicly presents itself as a neutral party and seeks peace, but at the same time considers providing weapons to Russia.
Analysts say it will be difficult for China to convince Russia and Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table like Saudi Arabia and Iran, which can achieve diplomatic victory more easily.
`Saudi Arabia and Iran really want to dialogue and improve relations, while Russia and Ukraine don’t, at least,` said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Washington-based Stimson Center.
However, according to expert Yun, President Xi Jinping can act as an intermediary channel, starting to promote negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Some analysts say China is in a better position to mediate than Türkiye because Beijing has more leverage over Russia.
According to Samuel Ramani, a Russia expert at Oxford University, China also has some leverage over Ukraine, because Kiev does not want to lose the opportunity to receive support from China in rebuilding the country.
China’s close relationship with Russia causes Beijing’s role to be viewed with skepticism in the West.
Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, said that China wants to be seen as a contributor to peace, but is not willing to pressure Russia to end the conflict and sacrifice its relationship with Moscow.