Why Did Xi Jinping Talk with Ukraine's Zelensky?

Russia and Ukraine, China Positioning as Mediator
Intends to Expand International Influence Amid US Containment

Chinese President Xi Jinping attracted the attention of the international diplomatic community when he had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the 26th of last month. This was their first direct communication since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February last year.

China has officially maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine war, but in reality, it has shown support for Russia. So why has China stepped in to mediate between Russia and Ukraine at this point in time?

Chinese President Xi Jinping. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to China’s state-run CCTV, President Xi conveyed China’s core position on the Ukraine war during the phone call with President Zelensky. Xi emphasized that China always stands on the side of peace and stated, "Dialogue and negotiation are the only way out of the Ukraine war." He also expressed his willingness to dispatch a special envoy to Ukraine to engage in mediation diplomacy.

President Zelensky tweeted, "I had a long and meaningful conversation with President Xi," and said, "I believe that the appointment of a Ukrainian ambassador to China, as well as this call, will become a strong driving force for the development of bilateral relations." Subsequently, President Zelensky appointed former Minister of Strategic Industries Liabikin as the new ambassador to China.

President Zelensky had requested dialogue with China several times, but China had been lukewarm. However, as the Ukraine war prolonged and reached a stalemate, the role of China, Russia’s ally, began to emerge.

In particular, following the South Korea-U.S. summit, the close cooperation between the two countries became more prominent, and with the level of containment against China rising, there is an analysis that China has sought to assert its presence in the international community and expand its external influence. China also achieved success last month by mediating between its rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, leading to diplomatic normalization.

Kim Jun-hyung, former president of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said in a CBS Radio interview, "(China) has also brought Iran and Saudi Arabia together in the Middle East. In fact, China is somewhat isolated from the Western world due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but ultimately, it wants to become a reconciler between Ukraine and Russia," adding, "What China advocates is genuine multilateralism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.