Xi and Scholz want peace in Ukraine – but the path remains unclear
Published: Tuesday, Apr 16th 2024, 13:50
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Following his meeting with German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for international cooperation in order to avoid further escalation in the Ukraine war and achieve a peaceful solution as soon as possible.
After more than three hours of talks on Tuesday, he appealed to all parties to contribute to easing tensions "instead of pouring oil on the fire".
However, Xi did not promise the chancellor that he would attend the peace summit planned for June in Switzerland, from which Russia is to be excluded, according to an official statement. He would only support such an international conference if it was accepted by both Russia and Ukraine, it said. However, they wanted to remain in positive contact about the conference in Switzerland as well as "other relevant international peace conferences" in the future.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already rejected the Swiss initiative. 100 countries are to be invited to the conference. The hosts want to include as many countries as possible that are friendly towards Russia at the table - above all China.
Scholz: Ukraine war endangers international order
The nuclear power with a population of 1.4 billion is considered Russia's most important ally, but has so far made little use of its influence on the conflict. At the beginning of the talks, Scholz had urgently drawn Xi's attention to the devastating effects of the war. "Indirectly, they damage the entire international order, because they violate a principle of the United Nations Charter: the principle of the inviolability of state borders," he said. "The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and Russia's armament have a very significant negative impact on security in Europe."
The West accuses China of supplying Russia with goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, thereby supporting the Russian war economy. Scholz had already made it clear before the meeting that he wanted to address this issue clearly. Xi did not address this in his statement. He merely said that China was "not a party and not a participant in the Ukraine crisis".
Nobody should be on the menu
Scholz and Xi spoke for a total of three hours and 20 minutes - an unusually long time. They first spoke for an hour in a large group, followed by a 45-minute tea ceremony in private and finally a meal. With this in mind, Xi is said to have used a parable alluding to the resolution initiatives in the Ukraine war: Everyone should sit at the table, but no one should be on the menu.
Scholz and Xi once again agreed that nuclear weapons should not be used. This commitment by Xi was the great success of the chancellor's inaugural visit in November 2022. There was initially no sign of anything similar on Tuesday.
Xi spoke of a "new era of turbulence and upheaval" in which the risks for all of humanity are increasing. "In order to solve these issues, it is essential that cooperation between the major powers gains the upper hand." In this sense, stable cooperation between the major economies of Germany and China is important. "Together, we can breathe more stability and security into the world."
Practical test for China strategy: Xi warns against protectionism
Last summer, the German government adopted a comprehensive China strategy for the first time. It defines the country, which is ruled with a heavy hand by the communist leadership, as a partner, competitor and systemic rival. The core of the strategy is to reduce economic dependency on China in order to avoid a rude awakening like the one after the Russian attack on Ukraine when gas supplies were cut. This is known as de-risking or risk mitigation. Xi emphasized that cooperation between Germany and China does not represent a risk, but rather "a guarantee for the stability of relations".
He urgently warned against economic protection measures. Germany and China both depended on industry and supported free trade, he said, according to the official statement. "With this in mind, both sides should be wary of the rise of protectionism." The EU Commission is currently investigating whether the sale of Chinese electric cars in Europe is being improperly subsidized. Xi's statements are likely to be aimed at this.
©Keystone/SDA
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