Germany demands guarantees from China that it will not help Russia

Germany wants Beijing to provide guarantees that it will not help Russia by avoiding European sanctions, while China warns Berlin and Europe about the possibility of severing economic ties with China during a meeting of the two countries' diplomatic heads in Berlin on Tuesday.

The imposed sanctions should not be "undermined by roundabout ways," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at a joint press conference.

"It is particularly important that Russian arms companies receive military goods," she said, adding that all countries, including China, should take steps to oblige their companies.

Burbock welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called on China to play a more decisive role in ending Russia's war in Ukraine.

On the other hand, China has expressed concern over growing talks that Europe is "de-risking" its relations with China.

According to the U.S. State Department, de-risking refers to the concept of "financial institutions terminating or limiting business relationships with customers or categories of customers to avoid rather than manage risk."

"If eliminating China's influence is done in the name of eliminating risks, it is actually eliminating opportunities, cooperation, stability and development," Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said at a joint press conference. "We must resolutely oppose the so-called disengagement exercise and maintain a high degree of vigilance against a new Cold War. Germany, China and Europe must join forces to ensure the stability and continuity of global production and supply chains," he added.

What other leaders are saying: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in a speech to the European Parliament on Tuesday, called for more diverse trade ties with Europe, including new agreements with countries such as Mexico, India, Australia and Kenya.

European Council President Ursula von der Leyen also called for reducing the risks of EU relations with China through diplomacy rather than disengagement in a speech back in March before she left for a joint visit to Beijing with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Qin's visit to Berlin marks a busy week for Sino-European diplomacy in the bloc: Qin flies to Paris on Wednesday and then to Oslo, while Burbock travels to Paris late Tuesday night for an expected meeting with Macron.

Source: CNN