China’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui continues his European tour. He visited Brussels, where he was given a cool response, as might have been expected by previous statements made by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has totally rejected China’s proposal. Borrell refused to receive China’s envoy. Li met with EU Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs Enrique Mora.
“The two sides discussed … ways to promote a just and sustainable peace” in Ukraine, a statement released by the EU’s European External Action Service (EEAS) said. Enrique Mora pointed out that Brussels believed in “Russia’s full responsibility for the unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, posing a key challenge to regional and global stability, security and prosperity.” He also expressed hope that China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, would “play a constructive role” in promoting international law with regard to Ukraine. Although the two sides agreed to stay in touch and continue contacts, the statement made no mention of the Chinese peace plan. (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/ukraine-deputy-secretary-general-enrique-mora-meets-special-envoy-chinese-government-eurasian_en)
On 26 May, the Chinese Foreign Ministry posted Li’s statements on his talks in Europe, reported TASS.
“China has always taken an unbiased stance on the Ukrainian issue and been actively promoting the restoration of peace and the advancement of peace talks,” Li is quoted as saying. “China supports the strategic independence of European countries. We are exerting efforts for the sake of long-term stability in Europe.” Li added that Beijing and the EU countries had “many similarities in their positions” on Ukraine. He recalled that this year marked the 20th anniversary of the upgrading of China-EU relations to comprehensive strategic partnership.
“China is ready to join forces with the European side in order to put into practice the important consensus that has been reached between the Chinese and European leadership,” he stressed, adding that China seeks to ensure stability in Sino-European relations and thereby “counter the uncertain situation in the international arena.”
In an apparent attempt to undermine Li’s efforts, EU officials told the Wall Street Journal that China was trying to split Europe from the United States. An unnamed European Union diplomat told the Journal that Li Hui urged European governments to view China as an economic alternative to Washington, and underlined the need to move quickly to end the Ukrainian conflict before it spreads. The EU officials said he told the envoy that freezing the conflict was not in their interest, as they told the Chinese diplomat that “it’s impossible to split Europe from America” and that Europe wouldn’t withdraw support from Ukraine. Such a view is obviously a transparent attempt to discredit Li.
