Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued a warning to Russia not to use nuclear weapons in its war on Ukraine.
In recent months the Russian army has failed to make progress in its invasion of its neighbour and has been pushed back in parts of the east and south.
At the same time Vladimir Putin has stated that he would be prepared to use nuclear weapons to protect Russian territory - which could include areas of Ukraine that the invading forces have annexed.
Putin said Russia would employ "all means" to defend its occupied territories in Ukraine, adding that he was "not bluffing".
Now, in a statement reported by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Xi said the international community should “jointly oppose the use of, or threats to use, nuclear weapons".
He further added that the world should "advocate that nuclear weapons cannot be used, a nuclear war cannot be waged, in order to prevent a nuclear crisis".
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who made a flying visit to Beijing on Friday, openly urged Mr Xi to use China's ties with Russia to de-escalate global nuclear tensions.
“President Xi and I agree that nuclear threats are irresponsible and highly dangerous," Scholz said following the pair's meeting.
"By using nuclear weapons, Russia would cross a line that the international community has drawn together."
At a later press conference, Scholz said he told Xi that “it’s important for China to exert its influence on Russia”.
One German official said that China possessed a “particular responsibility” as an ally of Russia to help end the war in Ukraine and press Moscow to tone down its threats of nuclear armageddon.
Xi called the current international situation "complex and changeable" and said China and Germany "should work together in times of change and chaos to make more contributions to world peace and development".
According to CCTV, the president also "pointed out that China supports Germany and the EU in playing an important role in promoting peace talks and promoting the building of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework".
World leaders are due to gather at the COP27 summit in Egypt next week, but Putin is not expected to attend.
It is unclear whether the Russian president will make an appearance at the G20 after Ukrainian President Zelensky was given the go-ahead to address the summit by video.
