China's Ukraine point man closes Middle East diplomacy trip marked by call to 'cool down the situation'
China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs completed a week of shuttle diplomacy across the Middle East, seeking to help "cool down" hostilities surrounding the Ukraine war and urging the protection of key infrastructure.
Li Hui met senior diplomats in Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Chinese foreign ministry said, and discussed the armed conflict with officials from Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and Kazakhstan on his trip as well.
"The parties agreed to continue to maintain communication and coordination, while welcoming the support of the international community for efforts to cool down the situation and to play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire, a halt to the fighting and the promotion of peace and negotiation," the ministry said in a statement.
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The trip took place as a global peace summit initiated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was announced for June 15 and 16 in Luzern, Switzerland.
China said it would consider taking part in the event. Its close ally Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, was not invited.
During his meetings held from May 3 to 9, Li raised six propositions from China, and his counterparts "generally agreed" with them, according to the ministry statement.
The points largely echoed a position paper issued by Beijing last year, including calls to exercise restraint, resume direct dialogue and improve humanitarian conditions.
The other points voiced opposition both to the use of nuclear and biological or chemical weapons and to attacks on nuclear power plants as well as urged that the global supply chain be kept stable.
Li further asked that the international community "jointly safeguard the safety of critical infrastructure such as oil and gas pipelines, electric-energy facilities and undersea fibre-optic cables" - elaborating in greater detail than the position paper.
Among the officials the Chinese envoy met were Turkey's deputy foreign minister, Egypt's assistant foreign minister, a Saudi minister of state and national security adviser and a presidential diplomatic adviser from the UAE.
Li's trip could also have been meant to convey the perspective of Russia, which has been excluded from most Western-led global gatherings such as next month's peace summit, said Li Lifan of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, a Chinese think tank.
The researcher noted the countries Li visited were all emerging powers of the Global South and that many maintained close relationships with the United States yet were not involved in sanctions against Russia.
"The Middle East does not wish to see a Ukraine conflict spillover too," he said.
"There is a chance to form a consensus among the Global South on this matter," the researcher added, saying that while Europe was unlikely to change its view, "China could send a message" by rallying the countries on Li's itinerary.
The envoy's travels followed up his second round of shuttle mediation relating to the Ukraine war in March, when he visited Russia, Ukraine and several European countries to promote a ceasefire and peace talks. His first such trip took place in May last year.
Additional reporting by Laura Zhou
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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