German Foreign Minister Wadephul called on China to use its influence on Russia to support an end to the war in Ukraine. The negotiations took place during his visit to Beijing.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday called on China to use its influence over Russia to force Moscow to enter into serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. He did so during his official visit to this Asian country. TASR informs about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
“If there is one country in the world that has a strong influence on Russia, it is China,” Wadephul said after meeting his Chinese counterpart Wang Im in Beijing.
China’s influence on Russia
The German head of diplomacy also added that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China is a key player on the international stage and has significant influence on Russia. “We hope and expect that China will use this influence,” he added.
The West accuses China of supporting Russian military operations, including buying Russian oil, while Beijing insists on its neutrality.
Restrictions on the export of minerals
Wadephul also accused Russia of wanting to “make maximum demands under the guise of willingness to negotiate.”
The German foreign minister arrived in Beijing on Monday. According to him, the purpose of the visit is to emphasize the importance of fair trade based on rules.
The German minister is expected to discuss China’s restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals in talks with Wang Im and Commerce Minister Wang Wen-chao. The restrictions complicate the situation for European companies that depend on these resources, for example in the production of engines, sensors or turbines, adds the German agency.
