“This trip was worth it”: Scholz defends his deplorable trip to China

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his controversial trip to China on Saturday as “useful” because of the two countries’ message of opposition to the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine. At a meeting of German Social Democrats in Berlin the day after his 12-hour visit to Beijing, Scholz welcomed the agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping to oppose a nuclear escalation in the war in Ukraine.

“I think in the light of the whole debate about whether or not it was the right thing to do this trip, the fact that the Chinese government, the president (Xi) and I could say that no nuclear weapons should be used in this war, just for that. , this trip was worth it, “he said.

After his interview with Xi Jinping, Mr. Scholz said in Beijing on Friday that “the war in Ukraine creates a dangerous situation for the whole world”. “That is why it was very important for me to emphasize, to say clearly that an escalation of” war “in the form of the use of a tactical nuclear weapon is excluded and I am very happy that on At least an agreement has been reached on this subject” , he added.

The Chinese report also mentioned the Beijing opposition.

The White House said this week that repeated talks by Russian officials about the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine raised fears in Washington that it could become a reality.

The Russian Foreign Ministry replied that the “absolute priority” in the world should be to avoid a confrontation between nuclear powers, “in the current difficult and turbulent situation”.

Scholz was the first G7 leader to visit China since the start of the Covid pandemic, a visit he led accompanied by a large business delegation.

The trip sparked criticism in Germany and among its European partners for Berlin’s growing economic dependence on Beijing and for taking place so soon after Xi tightened his grip on power in China the month before.