 "German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes Berlin, Beijing could help achieve ‘just peace’ in Ukraine")
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday that he hoped Berlin and Beijing could work together to establish a “just peace” in Ukraine, as he visited with President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
On his second visit to China since assuming office, the chancellor landed on Sunday, escorted by a sizable team of ministries and business leaders.
He has visited economic powerhouse Shanghai, Beijing, and the megacity of Chongqing in the southwest as part of his whistlestop trip. However, he must strike a difficult balance in order to strengthen his connections with Berlin’s largest trading partner.
Tuesday, during their meeting at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Scholz expressed his intention to talk with Xi about “how we can contribute more to a just peace in Ukraine”.
While China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticised for refusing to condemn Moscow for its offensive.
And China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, their strategic partnership only growing closer since the invasion of Ukraine.
Scholz on Tuesday told Xi that “the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and Russia’s armament have a very significant negative impact on security in Europe”, according to a recording provided by the chancellor’s office.
“They directly affect our core interests,” he told Xi, adding they “damage the entire international order because they violate a principle of the United Nations Charter.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHe also touched on areas where he said the two countries could cooperate, including climate change.
“Only by working together will we be able to find solutions to stop climate change and manage the green energy transition in a socially just way,” Scholz said.
‘Risks and challenges’
Chinese state media said Xi had highlighted the importance of ties in the face of “increasing risks and challenges”.
“China and Germany are the second and third largest economies in the world,” state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as having said.
“The two countries should view and develop bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective and work together to inject more stability and certainty into the world,” the Chinese leader added.
CCTV also released footage of the two going for a walk in the picturesque garden of the statehouse for “in-depth exchanges” set to an uplifting classical tune.
Scholz is next expected to meet with Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday, sit down with a German-Chinese economic committee, and hold a press conference.
Scholz’s visit comes as many of Germany’s Western allies confront China on a range of trade issues.
A slew of probes into state aid for Chinese solar panels, electric cars and wind turbines are ongoing in Brussels.
The United States, meanwhile, is investigating national security risks posed by Chinese technology in cars.
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