China seeks to reassure Germany over support for peace efforts in Ukraine

The country’s ambassador to Berlin Wu Ken told a newspaper that Beijing is committed to ending the conflict but Europe and the US must play an active part too

Wu insists Germany should not see China as a threat, but warns against efforts to freeze out companies such as Huawei from the country’s 5G network

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Germany has unveiled a strategy to “de-risk” its relations with China. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:07pm, 13 Aug 2023

China is not a rival to Germany but a partner, the country’s ambassador to Berlin has said in an interview where he tried to paint the country as a huge market German businesses can tap into, as well as an active player in trying to end the Ukraine war.

The European Union is currently developing a strategy for “de-risking” its relations with China. Germany, which has a huge business presence in China, has supported that policy but made it clear it is not interested in decoupling.

Ambassador Wu Ken told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper that China will not give up on its peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine, but the crisis cannot be resolved without Europe and the United States playing an active role.

When asked whether China could not ask Russia to stop the war, he replied that the crisis primarily affects European security interests and if “they [Europe and the US] don’t play an active part, the crisis will not end anytime soon, no matter how China acts”. He went on to say that China and Russia enjoy “good neighbourly relations.

China has said it is keen to play a constructive role and issued a 12-point peace plan in February. In April, President Xi Jinping held his first telephone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky since the start of the war and he has also sent special envoys to Russia, Ukraine and other parts of Europe to play a mediator’s role.

However, he pointed out that China did not start the crisis and was not directly involved and said: “My impression is, although the Americans have a special influence on Europe’s security, they don’t seem so interested in achieving a quick political solution.”