Ukraine Charge D’Affairs Visits Center for China and Globalization in Beijing

March 21, 2023 Posted by China Briefing Reading Time: 2 minutes

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Zhanna Leshchynska, Charge d’Affaires of Ukraine in China, and Valerii Bronskykh, First Secretary of the Political Section of the Ukrainian Embassy in Beijing, visited the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) last week. They met with Henry Huiyao Wang, President of the CCG, Sharon Haiyu Xu, Deputy Secretary-General of the CCG, and Roger Mengqi Wu, a CCG Research Fellow.

The CCG is a Chinese think tank based in Beijing. It was founded in 2008 by a committee of the Western Returned Scholars Association, an organization under the United Front Work Department.

During the visit, Leshchynska provided an update on the conflict in Ukraine, while Wang introduced CCG’s efforts in promoting relevant international exchange and communication. They discussed China’s position, explored ways to end the war and restore peace, and China’s potential role in the process.

Leshchynska is a veteran Ukrainian diplomat, having served four terms – ten years so far – in China since 1999. Wang has recently been especially active in discussing China’s role as a peacemaker with the 27 EU countries in Beijing.

The moves illustrate that Ukraine, at least on the diplomatic front with China is taking the possibility of China emerging as a broker seriously, as an issue that is especially valid as Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to hold a videoconference with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy after his current meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin are concluded. A Xi-Zelenskyy discussion could happen early next week.

Ukraine is a member of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with China its largest trade partner. Should a pragmatic settlement be reached, Chinese firms could be heavily involved with reconstruction in the country – Kiev has outstanding loans with China that can be actioned via hiring China SOEs to conduct infrastructure and reconstruction work.

Ukraine was originally to be a second, non-Russia route from China to Europe, with Kiev previously positioning itself as a ‘Gateway to the EU.’ Meetings such as these confirm the thought that China as a peace broker is at least acceptable to Kiev and may begin to develop some steam as discussions with China turn to a degree of post-war attention and rebuild.