SHANGHAI, April 28. /TASS/. Chinese President Xi Jinping's call with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky was a sign that China is ready to take an active role in promoting the peace process if the parties are ready to meet each other halfway, a leading Chinese expert told TASS on Friday.

"China is making efforts to promote peace talks, taking into account the current situation," Professor Pan Dawei, Director of the Center of Russian and Central Asian Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said, adding that this is a logical continuation of the policy set out in China’s peace plan on Ukraine. "As for how to settle the problem, it doesn’t depend on China alone, but involves many forces and sides. That is why, I think this conversation was held, and its goal was to call on the parties to sit down at the negotiating table."

According to the Chinese expert, this sign was meant for all parties involved in the conflict. "Another sign is that if everyone really wants to sit down at the negotiating table, China is ready to take an active part in this process," he said.

He drew attention to Zelensky’s statement made after his call with Xi. The Ukrainian president, in his words, was quite positive about the Chinese leader’s proposals. "Looking at the Ukrainian problem in general, not everything depends entirely on Zelensky. The international community is seeing more and more clearly that the key political force behind Ukraine is the United States," Pan said, adding that even if willing to heed Xi’s initiatives, Zelensky cannot deviate from the course set by the United States.

"The situation would be much simpler if it were only a conflict between Russia and Ukraine. But the United States is behind this conflict and it is pushing the Two Slav peoples towards killing each other," he said. In his words, Kiev is totally supported by the West financially and will not survive without it.

According to Pan, China has come out with its initiatives now because it understands that the conflict has reached a point where it is time to start talking about peace. "I would say that such a possibility already exists," he stated.

Xi held a phone call with Zelensky on April 26. It was their first telephone conversation since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. The Chinese leader reiterated Beijing’s readiness to help begin the negotiating process and put an end to the conflict. He also said that he planned to commission China’s special envoy for Eurasian matters "to Ukraine and other countries" to "discuss in detail political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis with all parties concerned." According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the delegation will be led by former Ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The dates of his possible trip have not yet been decided.