The hourlong phone call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, followed by Beijing¡¯s appointment of a senior diplomat to be dispatched to Ukraine and other countries ¡°for in-depth communication with all parties,¡± has marginally improved China¡¯s chance to be considered a serious candidate for mediator given its close ties to Russia
China¡¯s recent success in bringing about a deal under which Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed diplomatic ties after years of estrangement also helped to give it credibility.
Shortly after the phone call, China appointed 70-year-old Li Hui, a senior diplomat, to head Beijing¡¯s delegation for the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.
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