Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Russia on Monday for a three-day state visit amid signs that Beijing is taking a more proactive role in resolving the war in Ukraine . The Kremlin said in a statement that during the visit, the two nations would discuss further development of their comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction. A number of important bilateral documents would also be signed, it said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Xi’s trip was also to promote world peace. “We always believe that political dialogue is the only way to resolve conflicts and disputes. Showing swords, unilateral sanctions, and extreme pressure will only intensify contradictions and heighten tensions, which is not in line with the interests and expectations of most countries in the world,” Wang said. “China will uphold its objective and fair stance on international and regional hotspot issues such as the Ukraine crisis, and continue to play a constructive role in a political resolution to the crisis.” The announcement on Friday came a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, in which Qin called for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Qin said China hoped that Ukraine and Russia would keep the door open for dialogue and negotiation, and not close the door to a political settlement. “China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire, easing the crisis, and restoring peace,” he added. The ministry also quoted Kuleba as saying that “China is not only an important partner for Ukraine but also an indispensable key power in international affairs”. Kuleba wrote on Twitter that “we discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity”, adding that he stressed to Qin the importance of instituting Zelensky’s “peace formula” for ending the aggression. It was Qin’s first conversation with Kuleba since becoming the Chinese foreign minister and the first between the two men since China helped to broker a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic relations. The foreign ministry said Ukraine also congratulated China on its success in the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this month. The developments have raised expectations of Beijing playing an active part in ending the conflict in Ukraine. Feng Yujun, a Russian affairs specialist at Fudan University, said China had the will to promote peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. “However, the resolution of this issue is independent of China’s will and capability, but depends on the will of Russia and Ukraine,” he said. Yang Shu, former director of the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University, said Qin’s conversation with Kuleba signalled a shift towards a more proactive role in the conflict. “[China’s] promotion of a ceasefire and peace talks has become more positive and clearer,” Yang said. Yang said Qin’s remarks on Thursday indicated China was more willing to promote relations with Ukraine. China and Russia signed a “no limits” partnership just before Russia’s invasion and there have been reports that China is supplying “dual-use” equipment to Russian companies that could be used in the war zone. Wang Wenbin, from the foreign ministry, said China had always had a responsible attitude on military exports. “China has always controlled the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations,” the spokesman said. “China’s position and practices are consistent on the issue of arms sales, which is in stark contrast to some countries’ double standards that inflame the Ukraine crisis.” How China’s Saudi-Iran deal shows Beijing’s Mideast influence While China has a strong partnership with Russia, it has also maintained communication with Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. Qin’s predecessor, Wang Yi met Kuleba, at the Munich Security Conference in Germany last month, and again called for peace talks. “China has always been on the side of peace and dialogue, and insisted on urging peace and promoting talks,” Wang said. A week after the Munich meeting – on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion – China released a 12-point position paper , calling for an end to the war. There have been reports that in addition to visiting Moscow next, Xi might also speak to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Pan Dawei, director of the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the Ukraine war would be on Xi’s agenda in Moscow. “China is an independent country and has its own approach on the [Ukraine] issue,” he said. “We will actively push forward and work with all parties on a solution of the issue based on our own position and the development and merits of the situation.” But Yang was not optimistic about China being able to help resolve the war in Ukraine, saying the conflict was not the same as the one between Iran and Saudi Arabia. “The roots of [the Iran-Saudi] conflict are religious and geopolitical issues, but the Russia-Ukraine issue is completely different,” he said. Yang said Russia and Ukraine were still at war, a very different situation than the one between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
