What's happened
Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin and hold a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Why it matters
China's involvement in peace negotiations in Ukraine is significant as it showcases China's aim to project itself as a responsible global power and challenges the United States' dominance in shaping international crises.
What the papers say
Chinese state media reports have downplayed the prospects of a breakthrough emerging from Xi's talks with Putin and Zelensky. China has traditionally adhered to a principle of not interfering in other countries' conflicts, but its involvement in peace negotiations in Ukraine highlights its aim to project itself as a responsible great power. China's involvement in peace negotiations in Ukraine is seen as part of President Xi's Global Security Initiative, which challenges the United States' dominance in shaping international crises.
How we got here
China issued a 12-point framework for trying to end fighting in Ukraine last month, which was swiftly rejected by allies but not ruled out by Ukraine. China was Ukraine's largest trading partner before the war.
More on these topics
-
China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
-
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
-
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which it borders to the east and north-east.
-
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008.
-
Xi Jinping is a Chinese politician serving as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, president of the People's Republic of China, and chairman of the Central Military Commission.
-
Beijing, alternatively romanized as Peking, is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's most populous capital city, with over 21 million residents within an administrative area of 16,410.5 km².