German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to use his country’s influence to force Russia to end its war in Ukraine.
After meeting Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, Scholz said on social media platform “
He added that Xi Jinping agreed to support a peace conference in Switzerland.
The statements came at the end of Scholz’s three-day visit to China, where he discussed a wide range of issues with Xi Jinping and other leaders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month he was prepared to use nuclear weapons if the country’s sovereignty or independence were threatened, and Scholz warned on Tuesday against threats to use nuclear weapons during war.
He also told Xi that Moscow’s incursion threatened global security and that the two countries could work together to achieve “a just peace in Ukraine.”
Commenting on the crisis, Xi Jinping said, “China encourages and supports all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” according to Chinese state media.
Xi added that with China and Germany being the world’s second and third largest economies respectively, Beijing and Berlin “should view and develop their bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective and work together to inject more stability and certainty into the world”.
The statement follows growing international criticism of Beijing for continuing diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow during its invasion of Ukraine, which helped Russia survive widespread Western sanctions.
China claims to be a neutral party in the conflict and, despite accusations from the United States, insists it has not and will not provide military aid to Russia to support its invasion.
In addition to the war in Ukraine, Scholz’s trip was overshadowed by other international conflicts and events.
The German chancellor arrived on Sunday following Iran’s first direct attack on Israeli territory. Almost all of the more than 300 missiles and drones were intercepted by Israel and its allies. Scholz followed other Western leaders in warning Iran not to launch another attack and Israel not to retaliate.
On Monday, Scholz discussed the importance of fair competition between Europe and China, while urging Beijing not to dump or overproduce in European markets. As of 2023, China has become Germany’s largest trading partner for eight consecutive years.
The visit comes as Israel’s war with Hamas has raged for more than six months and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening.
“China and Germany are concerned about the serious humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the risk of further escalation of regional tensions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Lin added that both Beijing and Berlin called for “unhindered and sustainable humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.”
This report contains information from Reuters, the Associated Press and AFP.
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