China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted to its website that it would send a special representative for Eurasian affairs to Ukraine and other countries “for in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis."

The news was confirmed by Mr. Zelensky on Twitter, who said he had “a long and meaningful phone call" with the Chinese leader. “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 wrote. Mr. Zelensky’s spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov said the leaders spoke for nearly an hour.

“Now that the number of rational thoughts and voices is increasing, all parties should seize the opportunity to accumulate favorable conditions for a political solution to the crisis," Mr. Xi told Mr. Zelensky, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s account of the conversation. “We hope that all parties will reflect deeply on the crisis in Ukraine and, through dialogue, seek a common way for the long-term stability of Europe."

The call followed Mr. Xi’s three-day trip last month to Russia, where he and Russian President Vladimir Putin deepened their nation’s political and economic ties as well as their longstanding personal friendship in their 40th meeting as leaders.

Mr. Putin praised China’s peacemaking initiative, saying after his meetings with Mr. Xi that many parts of it were “consonant with Russian approaches."

China’s initiative, outlined in a 12-point position paper, has been largely dismissed by the U.S. and Europe, with officials saying China appears to heavily favor Russia’s position. Beijing has accused the U.S. of fueling the conflict by providing arms to Ukraine and rejecting Chinese efforts at a settlement.

Ukrainian officials have been cautious, welcoming the first point of China’s initiative, which calls for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries to be upheld, but not touching upon the rest.

Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, emphasized Ukraine’s own peace proposal during a telephone call last month with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang. That plan includes demands for the restoration of Ukraine’s borders and removal of all Russian troops—points not made in China’s position paper.

Some of China’s other points, such as the view that no country’s security efforts should come at the expense of its neighbors and criticism of reliance on security blocs, echo the Kremlin’s arguments for its invasion of Ukraine. The position paper also criticizes unilateral sanctions, which the U.S., Europe and other countries have used to punish Russia for the invasion.

China’s effort to position itself as a mediator in Ukraine got a boost from its success last month in shepherding a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to resume diplomatic ties after seven years of estrangement.

A settlement in Ukraine appears far more elusive. Some analysts have described China’s Ukraine overture as cover for deepening its relationship with Russia. Messrs. Xi and Putin declared their countries had a “no limits" friendship shortly before Moscow launched the Ukraine war last year. In Moscow last month, they signed 10 agreements on economic ties until 2030.

Mr. Xi’s efforts on Ukraine will likely find more support in the developing world, where views on the war are more mixed and tolerance of Russia’s actions is more widespread than in the West.

Mr. Zelensky said in March that he hoped to meet with Mr. Xi. China hasn’t publicly responded to that offer, and Wednesday’s statement by China’s Foreign Ministry didn’t mention any such plans.