China urges Europe to help jointly resolve conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine

In call with German chancellor, Chinese president says the security demands of all sides must be respected

Beijing and Berlin should work together to defend global order and multilateralism, Xi Jinping says

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz via video link on November 3, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 4:00pm, 4 Nov 2023Updated: 7:25pm, 4 Nov 2023

One country’s security cannot be ensured at the cost of others, Chinese President Xi Jinping told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday, as he urged Europe to help mediate conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

“A fundamental resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis requires profound reflection on security issues … and a push for a balanced, effective and sustained security framework,” Xi said in the video conference, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“Squeezing the security space of other countries, supporting one side while ignoring the legitimate demands of the other side will only lead to regional imbalance and escalation of conflicts.

“China and Europe should devote [effort] to mediate conflicts and ease tensions.”

He also noted that big international risks such as the sluggish economic recovery and the revival of a cold-war mentality made it necessary for China and Germany to jointly defend global order and multilateralism.

The talks follow a series of dialogues between senior officials in China and Europe in recent weeks to improve engagement and address global challenges.