(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to use his influence to try to push Russia into ending what the German leader called its “insane” war on Ukraine.

“China’s word carries weight in Russia,” Scholz told reporters after talks with Xi Tuesday in Beijing.

“That’s why I’ve asked President Xi to exert pressure” so that President Vladimir Putin “finally calls off his insane campaign, withdraws his troops and ends this terrible war,” Scholz said.

Both leaders agreed to coordinate preparations for a high-level conference in Switzerland to discuss a peace framework advocated by Ukraine, he added.

Xi had earlier reiterated China’s established position on Ukraine to Scholz, stopping short of signaling support for, or even participation in, the planned Swiss peace conference in mid June, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua.

Xi emphasized that “in order to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control, all parties should work together to restore peace as soon as possible,” Xinhua said.

Ukraine’s allies have been unhappy with China’s stance on the war since Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022.

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The government in Beijing has provided the Kremlin with diplomatic and political support and trade between the nations hit a record $240 billion last year, cushioning the impact of Western economic sanctions.

Scholz told reporters earlier Tuesday that Russia’s war on Ukraine and its military expansion “damage the entire international order.”

“This is because they violate a principle of the United Nations Charter, the principle of the inviolability of state borders,” Scholz said in joint statements with Xi before their talks. “I would like to discuss with you today how we can contribute more to a just peace in Ukraine,” he added.

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