Ukraine war: Solz asks Beijing to pressure Russia to end

To put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukrainethe chancellor asked China Olaf Solzduring his visit to Beijing today, the first by a Western leader since President Xi Jinping’s reassertion as leader of the Communist Party.

“President Xi and I agree that Russian threats with nuclear weapons are irresponsible and extremely dangerous. Using nuclear weapons, Russia would cross the line drawn together with the international community,” said Olaf Solz, as reported by the Athens News Agency, during his meeting with the country’s Premier Li Keqiang. He had previously been welcomed by President Xi.

The chancellor referred to China as a “great country”, stressing that, “as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, it also has responsibility for peace in the world”. He said he stressed to Mr. Xi that “it is important for China to exert its influence on Russia.”

Focusing on the criticism he receives for his trip to China, Olaf Solz, as reported by the Athens News Agency, asserted that “it is good and right that I am here today in Beijing” and underlined that “the Russian invasion brought war back to Europe and in times of crisis talks are even more important». He also assured that he does not want to leave out of discussion “issues on which we have different perspectives” and added that the exchange of views will serve to build mutual trust.

As announced by the government, Olaf Solz called for the protection of minorities in China, pointing out that “human rights are universal and this is especially true of minority rights.” The chancellor also stressed that he wants to stay in touch with Beijing also regarding Xinjiang province, where China is said to have imprisoned more than a million people.

Climate protection, the growing debt burden of the poorest countries and the food crisis are also on the agenda of Olaf Solz’s talks with the Chinese leadership. The chancellor is accompanied by top executives from more than a dozen German companies.