The trip took him to Ukraine, Poland, France, the EU headquarter in Belgium, Germany and Russia starting from May 15, during which Li reiterated China's core stance on the Ukraine crisis and called for joint efforts from relevant parties to enhance communication for a political settlement of the crisis, the newspaper recalled.
The main purpose of Li's trip is to collect and exchange information, understand the concerns of relevant parties and draw a range for future cooperation,
Global Times added.
During his trip, Li Hui called for an immediate ceasefire, while leaving Russia in possession of its new regions, the Wall Street Journal claimed on Friday, citing officials. According to the newspaper's article - summarised by
TASS -, the Chinese diplomat carried a clear message: "US allies in Europe should assert their autonomy and urge an immediate ceasefire, leaving Russia in possession of the parts [of Ukraine] <…> that it now occupies." According to European officials, Li Hui urged European governments to view China as an economic alternative to Washington and underlined the need to move quickly to end the Ukrainian conflict before it spreads, the WSJ said. For their part, EU officials noted that freezing the conflict was not in their interest, as they told the Chinese diplomat that "it’s impossible to split Europe from America" and that Europe wouldn’t withdraw support from Ukraine.
