China keen to ensure Saudi Arabia’s Ukraine peace talks do not become ‘anti-Russian’ event

China put forward its own 12-point peace proposal to resolve the Ukraine crisis in February, calling for a ceasefire.

But it has yet to convince European countries which see it as siding with Russia, and Li’s European tour in May appears to have made little progress.

Victor Gao, vice-president of Beijing-based think tank the Centre for China and Globalisation, said China would hope to use the summit to advance its own peace plan but was open to other peace proposals.

Gao, who is also an adviser to the Saudi oil company Aramco, said China’s participation in the event was a recognition of Saudi Arabia’s own peace efforts.

The Wall Street Journal, citing Western diplomats, reported that the choice of Saudi Arabia to host the event was an effort to sway China.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan is believed to have discussed the peace conference during a visit to Riyadh last week designed to repair Washington’s relations with the kingdom, and he is also expected to attend the peace conference.

Saudi Arabia has maintained friendly relations with both Moscow and Beijing even as its relationship with the US worsened, and Washington has complained that its decision to reduce its oil output has boosted Russia, another major oil exporter, by pushing up prices.

“[Saudi Arabia’s] close, mainly oil and energy-based relationship with Russia, has deepened in the wake of the war in Ukraine. At the same time, Saudi Arabia remains a US ally able to understand US interests and positions, while also growing its strategic partnership with China,” said Yossi Mann, head of the Middle East programme at Reichman University.

“Riyadh’s unique positioning has made it an influential player among the superpowers Russia, the United States, and China, despite escalating tensions.”