Chinese President Xi Jinping has said at a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that China supports the convening of a peace conference to resolve the Ukrainian crisis recognised by both Russia and Ukraine, Chinese media reported.
On the morning of 16 April, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Scholz at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. At the meeting, the Chinese leader said:
“China encourages and supports all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis, and supports the timely convening of an international peace conference recognised by Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation by all parties, and fair discussion of all peace options.”
The Chinese and German leaders noted that they oppose the use of nuclear weapons and attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities.
Scholz said German-Chinese relations are now developing well and the two sides have maintained close exchanges at all levels and in all fields. State representatives also successfully discussed issues in strategy and finance, as well as climate change and green transformation.
Scholz on Monday called for fair competition in trade relations while warning against dumping and overproduction while speaking to college students in the financial centre of Shanghai, where German companies have major investments.
His visit highlighted tensions over trade as the EU and other countries complain that China is competing unfairly through tariffs, intellectual property theft and political interference.
This is Scholz’s second trip to China since he became chancellor in late 2021. His previous visit took place in November 2022 and was essentially a one-day trip due to the strict COVID restrictions that were still in place at the time.
