China’s Xi Jinping is establishing himself as an international peacemaker. He plans to speak with Zelensky after he goes to Moscow next week to meet with Vladimir Putin. It will be the first time Xi has spoken to Zelensky since Putin’s war began. The meeting with Zelensky will likely take place virtually. It is clear that Xi is playing an active role in mediation to end the war.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Xi is considering visiting other European countries during his trip to Moscow but that has not been confirmed. Europeans are skeptical of Xi’s intentions. Xi is looking like he’s emboldened after he received credit for mending the diplomatic relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran last week. Xi has a vision of replacing the United States as the world’s leader in international relations.

The new surge of diplomacy reflects a conviction on the part of Mr. Xi and the Communist Party that China can offer an alternative to the U.S.-led model of international relations by relying on commercial ties rather than military might to sway the decisions of other countries.

An expansion of Beijing’s diplomatic clout also offers potential leverage against what Mr. Xi criticized last week as a Cold War-style, U.S.-led campaign of “all-round containment, encirclement and suppression” against China.

Xi is making his move on the world stage and the Biden administration is happy to let him be the peace broker between Putin and Zelensky. None of this would be happening if Biden was not seen as such a weak world leader. Biden has diminished the United States in the eyes of our adversaries. Look no further than the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in the early months of Biden’s administration to prove Biden is inept and out of his league among world leaders. Former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates was right about Biden’s career history of bad foreign policy decisions. So, Xi sees his opportunity and is seizing the moment. Carpe diem, baby.

Xi is fresh off his victory of receiving an unprecedented third term as China’s leader. He wants to use his increased power to be a player on the world stage, someone not to be shut out or ignored. He is escalating the competition with the United States and its allies. What could go wrong? Out with Reagan’s motto of peace through strength, in with letting China take over of the role of biggest voice for peace.

The Biden administration wants Xi to move forward with a discussion with Zelensky.

“That would be a good thing because it would potentially bring more balance and perspective to the way that the PRC is approaching this,” President Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Monday, referring to the People’s Republic of China. “We hope it would continue to dissuade them from choosing to provide lethal assistance to Russia, which is obviously something that we have warned about.”

Mr. Sullivan said U.S. officials had been in touch with their Ukrainian counterparts on Monday and that they have yet to receive confirmation that a call between the two sides will take place.

Biden has conducted himself as though he is afraid to confront Xi since he took office. He knows a deep rift between China and the United States has economic and supply chain implications. Also, we don’t know how compromised Biden and his family members are in their financial dealings with China. There are Republicans who are investigating the connection but nothing has been disclosed in final reports yet. It takes time but apparently connections can be proven. Let’s hope it all comes out sooner rather than later now that the Republicans are the majority in the House. Senators Grassley and Johnson have been doing hard work in the Senate with investigating Biden, Inc.’s Chinese connections.

Last month China put forth a 12-step peace plan for the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin said the proposal was worth taking a look at but wasn’t prepared to commit to accepting it as the way forward.

China’s Foreign Ministry called for a political solution to the war, as well as an end to sanctions. China warned Putin against escalating the war with nuclear weapons. The major hurdle with the push for a political solution is that neither Russia nor Ukraine is ready to abandon the battlefield. Both of the countries think there are more battles to come before the war is over. They aren’t finished fighting yet.

China and Ukraine have had a working relationship in the past. Perhaps Xi will make some progress with Putin and Zelensky. Regardless, he will prove he is taking his place as a world leader who is no longer willing to play second fiddle in matters of war and peace.