AMN / WEB DESK
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz he has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine. He also said Germany values economic ties with its largest trading partner, China.
Scholz addressed press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, after meeting separately with Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Scholz underlined that “China’s word carries weight in Russia.” He said that is why he asked Xi to exert pressure on Russia to end what he called “this terrible war.”
On the economy, Scholz alluded to growing concerns in Europe that Chinese government subsidies have led to the overproduction of electric vehicles.
The chancellor said he expressed his concern that “unilateral economic policy decisions in China are creating major structural difficulties for companies in Germany and Europe.”
Scholz added that Germany does not want to “decouple from China,” and wants “China to continue to be economically successful.” He stressed that Germany will place importance on its economic ties with China, while aiming to reduce excessive dependence on it.
Premier Li suggested that Beijing plans to strengthen ties with Berlin, stating that “China is willing to import more high-quality German products.”