German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his hopes on Tuesday for Berlin and Beijing to play a role in achieving a "just peace" in Ukraine during his meeting with President Xi Jinping in the Chinese capital.
Scholz, accompanied by a significant delegation of ministers and business executives, arrived in China on Sunday for his second visit since taking office.
His itinerary included stops in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing and the economic powerhouse Shanghai before reaching Beijing.
However, he faces a challenging balancing act as he seeks to strengthen economic ties with Germany's largest trading partner.
During the meeting at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Scholz conveyed to Xi his desire to discuss how they could contribute more to promoting a "just peace" in Ukraine.
While China says it is a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, it has been criticized for refusing to condemn Moscow for its offensive.
China and Russia have ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts in recent years, their strategic partnership growing closer since the invasion of Ukraine.
Scholz told Xi on Tuesday that "the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and Russia's armament have a very significant negative impact on security in Europe," according to a recording provided by the chancellor's office.
"They directly affect our core interests," he added, noting they "damage the entire international order because they violate a principle of the United Nations Charter."
He also touched on areas where he said the two countries could cooperate, including climate change.
Chinese state media said Xi highlighted the importance of ties in the face of "increasing risks and challenges."
"China and Germany are the second and third-largest economies in the world," state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
"The two countries should view and develop bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective and work together to inject more stability and certainty into the world," the Chinese leader added.
He also laid out what state media described as "four principles to prevent the Ukraine crisis from spiraling out of control and to restore peace."
Nations must focus on "the upholding of peace and stability and refrain from seeking selfish gains," Xi said, as well as "cool down the situation and not add fuel to the fire."
"We need to create conditions for the restoration of peace and refrain from further exacerbating tensions," Xi added, aiming to "reduce the negative impact on the world economy."
The "four principles" echoed a Beijing paper last year that called for a "political settlement" to the conflict, which Western countries said could enable Russia to hold much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.
CCTV also released footage of the two going for a walk in the picturesque garden of the statehouse for "in-depth exchanges" set to an uplifting classical tune.
Scholz is expected to meet with Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday, meet with a German-Chinese economic committee, and hold a press conference.
Scholz's visit comes as many of Germany's Western allies confront China on various trade issues.
A slew of probes into state aid for Chinese solar panels, electric cars and wind turbines are ongoing in Brussels.
The United States, meanwhile, is investigating national security risks posed by Chinese technology in cars.
"De-risking" has also emerged as a core theme of the EU's economic policy towards China after Russia's war in Ukraine exposed the bloc's energy dependence on Moscow.
But speaking to Scholz on Tuesday, Xi emphasized that the "industrial and supply chains of China and Germany are deeply embedded in each other," state media said.
"China's exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products ... have not only enriched the global supply and alleviated global inflation pressure but also made great contributions to the global response to climate change," he said.
"Mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Germany is not a 'risk' but a guarantee for the stability of bilateral relations and an opportunity to create a future," Xi said.