SHANGHAI, May 17. /TASS/. One trip by Chinese Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will not be enough to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, Sun Qi, executive director of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies, told TASS on Wednesday.

"One can assume that one visit by the Chinese special envoy is not enough to overcome the sharp disagreements between the parties and arrive at a common ground. It will take two or three, or many trips. It will also require effort and cooperation by the parties to the crisis and those embroiled in it. However, everyone can see who is really seeking peace and who is continuing to add fuel to the fire of the crisis," the expert pointed out.

"Ukraine was [selected as] the first stop on [Li’s] tour. Ukraine is a party to the conflict. It’s quite logical that the Chinese special envoy would visit Ukraine first, but notably the fact that Ukraine was chosen as the first stopover points to China’s earnestness as a mediator in the Ukrainian crisis and highlights the full respect [Beijing has] for Ukraine," Sun noted.

On April 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, the first between the two leaders since the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. The Chinese president reiterated Beijing's willingness to help establish a negotiation process to bring the conflict to an end. He also announced plans to send the Chinese government's special envoy for Eurasian affairs "to Ukraine and other countries" to "thoroughly discuss a political settlement to the Ukrainian crisis with all of the interested parties." The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that former Ambassador to Russia Li Hui would lead the country’s delegation.

Agence France-Presse reported that Li would make a trip to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on May 16-17. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced that the Chinese special envoy would also visit Russia, Germany, Poland and France for consultations on ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. The Chinese diplomat specified that Beijing was keeping a close eye on the situation in Ukraine, seeking to actively participate in the process of achieving a peaceful settlement.