BEIJING, August 8. /TASS/. The participation of Li Hui, the Chinese government's special representative for Eurasian affairs, in consultations on Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, indicates that the time is right to promote an international dialogue for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, according to Chinese experts quoted by the Global Times newspaper.

"As the West hypes China's ‘possible shifts in tone’ toward the Ukraine crisis after Chinese special envoy Li Hui attended peace talks in Saudi Arabia, experts stressed on Monday that China's stance has not changed, but the attendance only signals a 'more mature timing for dialogue,'" the article stated.

According to local political analysts, Western rhetoric is "only seeking to sow discord between Beijing and Moscow." "The Copenhagen meeting (on Ukraine, which China declined to attend - TASS) in June was led by the US, which had set the tone to hold Russia accountable [for the conflict] prior to the meeting. And that's certainly something China does not agree with," said Cui Heng, an official at the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Training Center for Promoting International and Judicial Cooperation. "This time, in Saudi Arabia, however, the talks progressed in a more neutral environment, where we could hear voices from various parties and share our views."

As Zhang Hong of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute for the Study of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia clarified, "a difference in tone from the Ukrainian side was observed" at the Jeddah meeting. "This indicates that room for negotiation has opened up, which created a positive atmosphere for communication," he said.

China's position on resolving the conflict in Ukraine

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday, during a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, that Beijing has an independent position regarding the Ukrainian issue and seeks a peaceful resolution. According to the Chinese diplomat, China will actively promote negotiations and act "objectively and rationally."

The Saudi-sponsored consultations in Jeddah on August 5-6 were attended by representatives of more than 40 countries and international organizations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Qatar, Great Britain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, as well as the United Nations. According to the DPA news agency, the initial plan was to discuss only Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's "peace plan"; however, another initiative was announced by the host country, Saudi Arabia, along with several other countries.