Chinese President Xi Jinping personally warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against using nuclear weapons during the war in Ukraine, according to Western and Chinese sources, the Financial Times writes.
Xi’s warning reportedly came during his state visit to Moscow in March. It was one of the president’s first trips outside of China after the isolation during the covid pandemic.
After the meeting, Chinese officials reportedly took credit for convincing Putin to back off his threats to use nuclear weapons, the sources said.
– The Chinese take credit for having sent the message at all levels, says a high-ranking official within the US government, to the newspaper.
China has consistently opposed the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine in its public statements, but many have doubted its commitment to the issue. However, recent data has given some hope that China is sticking to its public rhetoric even in private.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in March that Xi’s visit reduced the risk of nuclear war.