Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke by telephone with the Chinese President Xi Jinping on 20 December. Alongside bilateral relations and the current COVID-19 situation in China, the sixty-minute conversation focused on the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

President Xi and I paid tribute to five decades of bilateral relations and engaged in a thorough and constructive discussion of current challenges, said the Federal President following the telephone call. During the call, he underlined Germany's resolve to continue supporting Ukraine. He stated that Europe will stand its ground in the face of Russian threats and has taken precautions against the energy crisis. Ukraine’s defensive capabilities and Europe’s cohesion have been strengthened by the Russian aggression, and Putin has fundamentally miscalculated in this regard.

The Federal President thanked President Xi for the clear rejection of nuclear threats issued by Russia. He welcomed the joint message sent out by the G20 states in Bali emphasising the applicability of international law and warning of the humanitarian and economic consequences of the war. The Federal President emphasised China’s and Europe’s shared interest in an end to the war, as well as in the preservation of Ukrainian sovereignty and the withdrawal of Russian troops which are needed to achieve this. He asked Xi to use his influence on Russia and urge Putin to act accordingly.

The occasion for the telephone call was the fiftieth anniversary of bilateral relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the People’s Republic of China. The two Presidents had already exchanged telegrams to mark the occasion in October.