Germany expects China to play a bigger role in the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis by influencing Russia.

      The German economy minister expects to raise the issue during the talks with his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday.

      Berlin wants China to convince Russia to de-escalate the tension.

      Russia has sparked a wave of criticism after it incorporated Crimea into its territory following a referendum on the peninsula with a large ethnic Russian population.

      The US and the EU imposed a raft of sanctions on Russian officials and individuals with close ties to the Kremlin. The US also put space and military cooperation on hold, followed by some of its NATO allies, including the UK.

      The US sanctions have encountered a vigorous response from the Russian Foreign Ministry which came up with a black list of its own.