French President Emmanuel Macron told Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping he was counting on him to “reason” with Russia and help end the war in Ukraine.
In his opening remarks at talks in Beijing on Thursday, Macron said Russia had “put an end to decades of peace in Europe” and that finding a “lasting peace” that respected internationally recognized borders was “an important issue for China, as much as it is for France and for Europe.”
China has claimed neutrality in the conflict and attempted to frame itself as an agent of peace. But it has refused to condemn the Russian invasion and continued to tighten its economic and diplomatic ties with the Kremlin over the past year – including a state visit from Xi to Moscow last month.
Speaking to reporters alongside Macron, Xi said China was ready to “issue a joint call” with France for the international community to “exercise restraint” and “avoid taking actions that might cause the crisis to further deteriorate.”
He then went on to reiterate China’s existing position on the war, including calling for peace talks and opposition to the use of nuclear weapons – while reiterating that the “legitimate security concerns” of “all parties” should be taken into consideration – a phrase long seen as a nod to Russian interests.
Macron, speaking roughly twice as long as Xi in his following remarks, stressed a need for discussion “with everyone” including Russia. “We do not simply want an end to the conflict, but respect for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is the only condition for lasting peace,” he said.
Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday with high expectations for a possible breakthrough on working with China to find solutions to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
