INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he had urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to use Beijing's "influence" on Moscow to stop
the war in Ukraine."I told President [Xi] that it is important for China to use its influence on Russia," Scholz said."Russia must
immediately stop the attacks under which the civilian population is suffering daily and withdraw from Ukraine."Scholz, on a one-day visit to
Beijing, said Russia, China, and the West had agreed to respect the UN charter and "principles such as sovereignty and territorial
integrity," which he said Russia was violating in Ukraine.At a news conference, the German leader also called on Russian President Vladimir
Putin to prolong a deal allowing grain shipments to continue from Ukraine via the Black Sea."Hunger must not be used as a weapon," Scholz
said.Grain shipments from Ukraine resumed Thursday after Russia returned to a deal allowing their safe passage following international
pressure.But Moscow said it had yet to decide whether to extend the grain deal beyond Nov
the world's largest grain exporters, Ukraine was forced to halt almost all deliveries after Russia invaded the country on Feb
24.Putin insists Ukrainian grain goes mainly to European countries, rather than poorer nations, an accusation Ukraine and European countries
have refuted, saying that Ukrainian grain exports are essential for some of the poorest countries on earth.
