Germany asks China to press Russia to put an end to the war

O German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on China today to use its close ties with Russia to help end the war in Ukraine and to defend balanced trade relations between Beijing and Europe.

“China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and maintains close ties with Russia. Let us work together to get Russia to end its attacks and start serious negotiations,” Steinmeier said in a speech at the University of Beijing.

The German head of state considered that it was time to end the conflict, after almost five years of war and hundreds of thousands of dead.

“It’s about time. After almost five years of war, more than the First World War, after hundreds of thousands of deaths, after daily attacks on heating, water and electricity, precisely when winter approaches, people yearn for the end of suffering ", declared.

Steinmeier warned that the Russian invasion threatens the security of the whole of Europe and stressed that prolonged conflicts also undermine Chinese economic interests, particularly due to disturbances in supply chains and international trade.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Beijing has sought to maintain a position of neutrality by defending respect for the sovereignty of states, but also the need to address Russia’s “legitimate security concerns”.

China has repeatedly rejected the accusations that it militarily supports Moscow.

At the economic level, Steinmeier ensured that Europe does not want to disengage from China, but demanded “fair” conditions of competition and warned of the risk of increasing Chinese economic autonomy increasing dependence on other countries.

“ We cannot allow Europe to lose its industrial base,” he said, pointing out the difficulties in accessing the Chinese market, state subsidies and export restrictions on strategic raw materials.

The statements arise in the context of increasing trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels due to Chinese industrial practices and trade defence measures adopted by the European Union.

Steinmeier is in China for a six-day state visit, which will culminate on Friday with meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.

The trip coincides with an Asian tour by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Singapore, Japan and South Korea to diversify the Berlin economic and security partnerships.