German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on the Chinese government to use its influence on Moscow to end Russia's war against Ukraine, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Merz began a two-day visit to China today to expand economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The signals from Beijing are being taken very seriously in Moscow, the German chancellor said after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. "This applies to both words and actions," Merz said. "I would like to particularly welcome China's commitment to peace in the region, which I heard about today," he added.
According to the Chinese government's press office, Xi advocated during his meeting with Merz for negotiations to resolve the conflict. The Chinese president noted that all parties should participate on an equal footing and that their legitimate concerns should be taken into account.
Xi again refrained from making direct accusations against Russia. Germany has long criticized Beijing for maintaining an apparently neutral stance on Russia's war in Ukraine, DPA noted.
"If Xi Jinping were to tell President Vladimir Putin to stop tomorrow, then he would have to stop the day after tomorrow," the German chancellor said on Monday before leaving for China.
Beijing has been considered Russia's most important backer since Western countries scaled back ties with Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.