Germany and China have agreed to deny any use of a nuclear weapon in the context of the war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday during a visit to Beijing.
“The war in Ukraine is creating a dangerous situation for the whole world…and in China everyone knows that an escalation would have consequences for the whole world,” Scholz said.
“This is why it was very important to me … to say clearly that an escalation of ‘war’ in the form of the use of a tactical nuclear weapon must be ruled out, and I am pleased that, in this case on at least it has come to an agreement,” he added.
Scholz paid a one-day visit to Beijing, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping. While China is officially neutral in the Ukrainian conflict, the West is critical of its tacit support for Moscow.
The United States this week said it was “increasingly concerned” about a possible nuclear attack by Russia. On Tuesday, former Russian president and current number two on the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, again called for the use of nuclear weapons.
Ukraine’s desire to regain all occupied territories “threatens the very existence of our state” and provides “an immediate reason” to use “nuclear deterrents,” he said.
Vladimir Putin also alluded to the atomic bomb in a televised speech on September 21. Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of preparing to use “dirty bombs” against its troops.
During his visit to China, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pointed in Beijing to the problems posed by the war in Ukraine, while Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of cooperation between Germany and China for peace.
Scholz’s visit to Beijing comes at a time of growing Western mistrust of the Asian country, given its rapprochement with Russia and human rights violations.
Although the Scholz administration has already indicated that it is moving away from China’s purely commercial approach cultivated by predecessor Angela Merkel, the German chancellor is joined by a business delegation, including the CEOs of Volkswagen, BioNtech or Siemens.
Scholz was received by Xi Jinping at the Great Palace of the People in the center of the Chinese capital.
The Chinese leader stressed that Scholz’s visit coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, which came about during a period of fierce rivalry, at the height of the Cold War, but which allowed the cultivation of economic exchange, which is a fundamental part of the relationship. .
“The current international situation is complex and unstable,” Xi told Scholz, quoted by state broadcaster CCTV, without mentioning the war in Ukraine. “As influential powers, in these times of change and chaos, China and Germany must work together to contribute more to world peace and development.”
Scholz referred directly to Xi Jinping about the conflict in Ukraine, which generated millions of refugees and shook world food and energy markets. “We are meeting at a time of great tension,” the chancellor recalled, quoted by the German news agency DPA.
“I want to emphasize in particular the Russian war against Ukraine, which poses many problems for the rules-based world order,” he added.
Scholz also cited global food shortages, climate change and the sovereign debt crisis in developing countries as “key issues,” DPA reported.
The German leader has come under fire for visiting China shortly after Xi, 69, won a third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and raised allies to the top of the Chinese power structure who support his vision of tighter control over China. . the economy and a more confrontational approach to the West.
The move also comes in a context of rising tensions between China and Taiwan, after a UN report ruled that abuses against ethnic minorities of Muslim origin in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China could amount to “crimes against humanity.” .
Scholz was joined by about a dozen German business leaders, including the chief executives of Volkswagen, BMW, BASF, Bayer and Deutsche Bank, most of whom have large stakes in China.
This raised questions about Germany’s undue reliance on the Chinese market, similar to what happened to Russia for energy supplies.
After lunch, Scholz and his delegation met with Prime Minister Li Keqiang, who is nominally responsible for China’s economy.
Despite political differences, Scholz’s visit reflects the importance of Germany’s trade relations with the world’s second largest economy.
In 2021, China was Germany’s largest trading partner for the sixth year in a row. The Asian country was the main source of German imports and the second destination for exports, after the United States.
In an article by the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Scholz emphasized the importance of visiting China during this period.
“Obviously, as China changes, the way we interact with China must also change,” the chancellor noted, adding that his country “will reduce unilateral dependencies, in the spirit of smart diversification.”
Scholz also said he would tackle “difficult issues” such as the rights of ethnic minorities of Muslim descent in Xinjiang.
This is the first visit to China by a European leader and a country in the G7 group (seven largest economies in the world) since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The journey comes at a time when the European Union and Germany are adjusting their approach to China.
A senior German official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, described the visit as an “exploratory trip” to find out “where is China, where is China going and what forms of cooperation are possible with this particular China, in the current situation.” global situation”.
The official pointed to Beijing’s “special responsibility” as Russia’s ally to help end the war in Ukraine and pressure Moscow to soften its nuclear rhetoric.
The chancellor will also try to “balance” economic relations.
Due to the highly restrictive covid-19 prevention measures in place in China, the German delegation will not stay overnight in Beijing.
with AFP
News updated at 13:21
Source: DN
