China rejects Ukraine's meeting request amidst geopolitical tensions

Beijing has rejected Kyiv's requests for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang during the Davos Economic Forum. Politico reports that this development came as an “unpleasant surprise” for the Ukrainian side, and there are strong indications that China's decision was influenced by a prior request from Russia.

Ukrainians are keen on involving China in negotiations concerning the conflict. Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office, has emphasized the crucial role of Beijing's participation in these talks.

The opportunity for discussions arose during the Davos summit, where both President Zelensky and Prime Minister Li Qiang were present. However, the anticipated meeting did not take place, and this was not accidental. According to Politico, citing a senior US official, China is refusing meetings with Ukrainians in the aftermath of Russia's request to cease diplomatic contacts with Kyiv.

A senior official from a European Union country mentioned that their bloc has encouraged China to resume direct talks with President Zelensky.

Zelensky's denial

Despite these reports, Ukrainians deny any plans for a meeting with the Chinese. A representative of the Ukrainian delegation told Politico that there were no scheduled talks with the Chinese, and Kyiv did not make any requests for such discussions.

When asked about the Politico article, President Zelensky stated that he had no plans to meet with the Chinese Prime Minister, clarifying that he is not the leader of the country.

"Our Prime Minister may meet with the Prime Minister of China. I would very much like to meet the leader of China. As far as I know, Xi Jinping makes decisions, and I make decisions in Ukraine. I don't need any dialogues; I need important decisions from the leaders who make these decisions,"
Zelensky said.

China's reserved stance

On April 26, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky over the phone, discussing a peaceful settlement of the war situation. In May, China's special representative Li Hui visited Kyiv and presented a "Peace Plan", which faced criticism from Ukrainians.

Beijing also abstained from participating in two meetings related to the Ukrainian "Peace Formula", which advocated for actions such as the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 borders.