China is not a party to Ukraine war, Xi tells Scholz in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China is not involved in Russia's war against Ukraine during talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

China is neither a party nor a participant in the Ukraine crisis, according to a statement on Tuesday following the meeting between the two in Beijing. Instead, China has always "promoted peace talks in its own way," Xi said.

Beijing would support an international peace conference "in due course," but Russia and Ukraine would have to accept it, the Chinese leader said.

Moscow has so far declined an invitation to a planned conference in Switzerland in June. The Chinese response to an invitation from the Alpine state is still pending.

China is a close ally of Russia. Accusations of Chinese companies supplying so-called dual-use goods - goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes - to Russia are constantly being levelled.