Sharjah24 – AFP: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Beijing Friday to ask "the Russian aggressor to stop the war" in Ukraine, saying "no other country has more influence on Russia than China".

Speaking after a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing, Baerbock said she had also expressed concerns about human rights issues and warned of the dangers of escalating tensions with Taiwan.

Her visit to the Chinese capital comes a week after that of French President Emmanuel Macron and the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who also urged Beijing to play a greater role in resolving the crisis.

"It is good that China has signalled its commitment to a solution but I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese position so far does not include a call on the aggressor Russia to stop the war," Baerbock said.

After the meeting, China announced that Defence Minister Li Shangfu would visit Russia on Sunday for a four-day visit, at the invitation of his counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

China has positioned itself as a neutral mediator throughout the conflict, but its refusal to condemn the invasion and a recent trip to Moscow by President Xi Jinping have led Western powers to accuse it of favouring its traditional ally Russia.

Qin said on Friday that China believed "the only way to resolve the Ukraine war is to promote peace and talks".

"The Ukrainian crisis has developed up to this day, and the lessons are profound, worthy of deep reflection by all parties. Territory is indivisible, and security is also indivisible," he said.

"Without recognition of the security interests of a particular party, crises and conflicts are inevitable," he added.