Xi reportedly warned “there is no winner in a nuclear war”, and his government would send a “special representative” to Ukraine for talks about a possible “political settlement”.
Zelenskyy described the call as “long and meaningful”.
“I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Ukraine’s ambassador to China, will give a powerful impetus to the development of our bilateral relations,” he said, on Twitter.
China has tried to appear neutral in the war but refused to criticise Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Xi’s government released a peace proposal in February and called for a cease-fire and peace talks.
Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement before the February 2020 invasion saying their governments had a “no limits friendship”.
“Negotiation is the only viable way out,” Chinese state TV said in a report on Xi’s comments to Zelenskyy.
“There is no winner in a nuclear war,” the report said.
“All parties concerned should remain calm and restrained in dealing with the nuclear issue and truly look at the future and destiny of themselves and humanity as a whole and work together to manage the crisis.”
