On March 28, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing held a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatoly Maximovich Zlenko by request. Zlenko said Ukraine was willing to work with China to push forward bilateral relations.

Li Zhaoxing said both the Chinese and Ukrainian peoples were peace-loving and devoted to development, both countries held the same views on many important international issues, and China was willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. They both expressed full confidence in the bright future of friendly cooperation between the two countries.

They also exchanged views on the on-going war in Iraq and other issues.