French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he is counting on his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to "bring Russia to its senses" over Moscow's war in Ukraine.
The French president, who arrived on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, has made clear his wish to dissuade China from supporting the Russian invasion.
"I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table," Macron told Xi during a bilateral meeting in Beijing.
And, in a joint statement following those talks, the two leaders reaffirmed their call for peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow "as soon as possible".
The two sides also reaffirmed their opposition to the use of nuclear weapons during the conflict.
To coincide with their meeting, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV released a report in which Xi hailed China's "positive and steady" ties with France as the world undergoes "profound historical changes".
The official English-language newspaper Global Times, in an opinion piece published on Wednesday, stresses the economic side of the Macron visit, illustrated by a delegation “of over 60 CEOs including from Airbus, Alstom and EdF,” saying that “Macron’s visit is expected to … further economic and trade cooperation” between China and France.
While Macron’s main purpose was to try and get Xi Jinping to mediate between Russia and Ukraine and find a solution for the current conflict, Global Times does not mention Ukraine even once, and makes vague references to the ongoing war, saying that France and China should “… play a leading role in international relations,” adding that “among Western powers, France has relatively more common ground with China.”
In an adjacent piece, the paper indirectly highlights Beijing’s official view by publishing an interview with Michele Geraci, a former official at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, who warns against any “decoupling” of the Chinese and EU economies. The article says that sanctions against Russia “don’t work” and that China is better placed to “negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine” than Europe, which is, as part of Nato, indirectly supporting Kyiv.
But Macron said during his trip that Beijing can play a "major role" in finding a path to peace in the conflict and welcomed China's "willingness to commit to a resolution".
According to the French press agency AFP, quoting a French diplomat who attended the meeting between Xi and Macron, the Chinese leader said that he is "ready to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when the time comes."
The French head of state meanwhile "pressed Xi Jinping not to deliver anything to Russia that would be used for its war against Ukraine", added the diplomat, in the face of Western fears that Beijing could be mulling arms shipments to support Russia's war effort.
Moscow poured cold water on prospects for a Chinese mediation of the conflict, insisting on Thursday it had "no choice" but to press on with its offensive.
"Undoubtedly, China has a very effective and commanding potential for mediation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"But the situation with Ukraine is complex, so far there are no prospects for a political settlement," he said.
'Volatile environment'
Macron, who is accompanied on his visit by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, said he wants to "be a voice that unites Europe" over Ukraine, and that coming to China with her serves to "underline the consistency of this approach".
Von der Leyen said in a Thursday meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang that relations between the EU and China had grown "complex in recent years".
Our economies are strongly interconnected but the EU trade deficit is increasing due to discriminatory practices.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 6, 2023
I discussed with Premier Li how to rebalance our trade.
We should resume our High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue to engage on this. pic.twitter.com/aR0qkhYfRw
"It is important that we discuss all aspects of this relationship together today," she said, especially in the current "volatile geopolitical environment".
Macron's talks with Xi were followed by a trilateral meeting with von der Leyen, after which the French and Chinese leaders will hold a state dinner.
Macron will travel to Guangzhou in southern China to meet students on Friday, taking with him a delegation of politicians, business leaders and celebrities, including composer Jean-Michel Jarre.
Taiwan tensions
The visit comes in the face of mounting Chinese pressure on Taiwan, with the island's President Tsai Ing-wen meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday.
Tsai hailed the talks, saying they showed the self-ruled island was "not isolated" on the international stage.
Beijing baulks at any official contact between Taipei and the rest of the world, insisting there is only "one China".
Macron told journalists Wednesday he did not think his Chinese counterparts had "a desire to overreact" to the Tsai-McCarthy meeting.
China had repeatedly warned both sides that the meeting should not take place and deployed an aircraft carrier near Taiwan hours before the talks went ahead.
Three additional warships were detected in waters separating the island from China, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said on Thursday.
(with wires)
