Merz urges Chinese president to back Ukraine ceasefire In first call as German Chancellor

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Western efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, during their first phone conversation since Merz took office earlier this month.

According to a statement from Merz’s office, the Chancellor informed Xi about "the common efforts of Europe and the EU to bring about a quick ceasefire in Ukraine" and urged China to "support these efforts," Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Berlin said both leaders "underlined their readiness to work together as partners to overcome global challenges."

The official Chinese account of the call quoted Xi as calling for "stable and predictable ties" between the two nations. Xi also noted that "the world today is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, with the convergence of changes and chaos in the international situation."

Diplomatic attempts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine have intensified recently, with Russian and Ukrainian officials holding their first face-to-face talks in over three years last week in Istanbul. However, the Kremlin denied reports on May 22 of imminent peace talks at the Vatican, saying new negotiations with Ukraine had "yet to be agreed."

Merz also highlighted the importance of "fair competition" between the world’s second-largest and third-largest economies.

The German government said the two leaders "emphasised the importance of economic relations between Germany and China."

China remains a crucial export market for Germany, though Chinese firms have increasingly become competitors to traditional German manufacturers, particularly in the automotive sector.

By Aghakazim Guliyev