Jeddah talks helped strengthen “international consensus”, - China

International negotiations in Saudi Arabia over the weekend to find a peaceful solution to the "Ukrainian crisis" helped "strengthen the international consensus".

This was stated by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, according to Reuters.

The Jeddah talks were attended by more than 40 countries, including China, India, the United States and European countries, but not Russia.

China sent its special envoy for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, who traveled to six European capitals in May to find common ground for a possible political settlement between Moscow and Kyiv.

Li "had extensive contact and communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis... listened to all sides' opinions and proposals, and further consolidated international consensus," the foreign ministry said in a written statement to Reuters.

"All parties positively commented on Li Hui's attendance, and fully backed China's positive role in facilitating peace talks," the statement said.

China will continue to strengthen dialogue based on its 12-point peace proposal, and "accumulate mutual trust", it said, without going into specific details.

According to analysts, China's presence indicates a possible change in Beijing's approach, but not a sharp turn in its support for Moscow.

Beijing refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion it launched in February 2022. But it has proposed its own "peace plan" that has received a lukewarm response from both Russia and Ukraine, while the United States and NATO have been skeptical.

According to Reuters, the two-day meeting in Jeddah was part of Ukraine's diplomatic push to enlist the support of countries other than its main Western backers, reaching out to countries in the Global South that have been reluctant to take sides in the war that has hit the global economy.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 07/08/2023