German chancellor to meet with Chinese leader to discuss war in Ukraine

Olaf Scholz and Xi Jinping. Stock photo: Getty Images

Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, will start his three-day visit to China on 14 April. He is scheduled to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Source: Steffen Hebestreit, spokesperson of the German government, cited by European Pravda with reference to AFP

Details: During his visit Scholz will be escorted by several ministers from the federal government and the representatives of German business. The chancellor is expected to visit the city of Chungking and make a speech in one of the universities of Shanghai.

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The meeting between Chancellor Scholz, head of Chinese government Li Qiang and President Xi Jinping will be held at the end of the visit on 16 April. Besides trade issues, the full-scale war in Ukraine will also be on the agenda.

“I think that China has an influence over Russia, and we would like China to use the influence it has,” Heberstreit said at a briefing on 8 April. 

Background:

• This is Scholz’s second to China after being elected chancellor. The previous one in November 2022 was conducted amid severe COVID-19 restrictions and the discussions concerning Berlin’s dependence on Chinese goods.
• Janet Yellen, US Secretary of the Treasury, said that she had “difficult conversations” about Ukraine during her four-day visit to China.
• Media reports indicated that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in communications with his counterparts in the EU and NATO, stated that China is assisting Russia “at a concerning scale”, providing tools and technology.

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