China's Top Envoy Seeks to Mediate Peace Between Russia and Ukraine While Strengthening Bilateral Trade.

China's special representative for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, will visit Ukraine, Russia, Poland, France, and Germany on a multi-day trip aimed at discussing a "political settlement" to the Ukraine crisis. Li's visit comes weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart, and several European leaders have urged Xi to play a more active role in restraining Moscow's actions. However, China's ties with Russia have led to skepticism in the West regarding its proposals to end the conflict.