Sun Linjiang, formerly China's ambassador to Poland, has been appointed special representative for Eurasian affairs, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

He replaces Li Hui, who conducted shuttle diplomacy in Europe and elsewhere aimed at finding a political settlement to the war in Ukraine as China sought to paint itself as a mediator in the conflict.

China has declared itself a neutral party in the more than three-year conflict, although Western governments say Beijing has given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support -- a result of their close ties.

China has countered by saying the United States and other Western countries are fuelling the war by arming Ukraine.

Multiple rounds of diplomatic pushes by Li failed to produce any substantive outcomes, with the official last year admitting there was a "significant gap" between Kyiv and Moscow on the prospect of peace talks, following a trip to Russia, Ukraine and EU states.

His replacement Sun "is a senior diplomat who knows the situation in the Eurasian region well", Lin said Thursday.

Sun would "make unremitting efforts to deepen the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and countries in the Eurasian region", the spokesman said.