As he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he wants to “engage China towards a shared responsibility for peace” in Ukraine.
Prior to the meetings on Thursday, Macron was going to encourage Xi to use Beijing’s clout to sway Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to French officials, but they didn’t anticipate a significant movement in Chinese policy.
In an effort to demonstrate European solidarity in interactions with China, Macron is joined by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Before to Moscow’s war on Ukraine in February 2022, Xi and Putin announced that their countries enjoyed a “no bounds relationship.” Although trying to seem impartial and calling for a cease-fire and peace negotiations, China has refrained from criticising the Kremlin.
Macron promised to “develop and somehow involve China towards a shared responsibility for peace and stability on international concerns,” such as the conflict in the Ukraine, Iran, and North Korea, in an address to French citizens living in China.
China would “participate in projects that are good to the Ukrainian people,” Macron said.
At the occasion at the French Embassy, Macron said that “dialogue with China is vital.”
The leadership of Xi Jinping views Russia as a partner in the fight against American hegemony in world affairs as well as a supply of energy.
The largest consumer of Russian oil and gas is China, which supports the Russian government’s finances in the face of Western sanctions. It boosts Chinese influence, but Xi doesn’t seem eager to put that alliance in danger by putting pressure on Putin.
Putin’s declaration that Russia intends to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which China opposes, was brought up by Macron.
According to the United Nations Charter, which China endorsed, “territorial integrity and national sovereignty are part of it,” Macron remarked.
According to Macron, upholding these ideals “means going ahead together and seeking a road for peace.” In February, China put up a peace proposal, which, despite France’s disagreements, he said “shows a determination to commit towards the conclusion of the conflict.”
Von der Leyen cautioned last week that the European Union needed to be ready to create safeguards for trade and investment that China may use for its own military and security needs.
The message to Chinese authorities, according to Thierry Breton, EU commissioner for the internal market, is that they “must cease attempting to play one nation against another.”
During the visit, “many important transactions,” according to Macron, are expected to be completed between French and Chinese businesses. More than 50 French Executives, including those from Airbus, Alstom, and energy juggernaut EDF, were with him.
Negotiations on a prospective agreement with Airbus, which would be in addition to China’s 2019 purchase for 300 aircraft, were claimed to be in progress last week, according to a French official.
On climate change, Macron said he will advocate for “working in partnership” with China. He announced that France would host a worldwide conference on ocean conservation in 2025 and suggested that China participate in these efforts.
