More than 40 countries, including China, India, the US and European countries, but not Russia, took part in the Jeddah talks that ended on Sunday.

China sent its special envoy for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, who toured six European capitals in May to find common ground for an eventual political settlement of the conflict, now in its 18th month.

Li “had extensive contact and communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis… listened to all sides’ opinions and proposals, and further consolidated international consensus”, the foreign ministry said.

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“All parties positively commented on Li Hui’s attendance, and fully backed China’s positive role in facilitating peace talks,” it said.

China would continue to strengthen dialogue based on its 12-point peace proposal, and “accumulate mutual trust”, it added, without going into specific details.

China’s attendance signals possible shifts in Beijing’s approach but not a U-turn in its support for Moscow, analysts said.

Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow for the invasion it launched in February 2022. But it has offered its own peace plan, which received a lukewarm response in both Russia and Ukraine while the US and Nato were sceptical.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Peace plan talks end in Saudi Arabia without concrete steps; Russia launches waves of missiles

The two-day meeting in Jeddah was part of a diplomatic push by Ukraine to build support beyond its core Western backers by reaching out to Global South countries that have been reluctant to take sides in a conflict that has hit the global economy. DM/Reuters

(Reporting by Laurie Chen; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gareth Jones)