Diplomacy: Macron on a state visit to China: Xi wants to speak to Selenskyj

diplomacy
Macron on a state visit to China: Xi wants to speak to Selenskyj

French President Emmanuel Macron continued his three-day state visit to China today. After his talks with head of state and party leader Xi Jinping the day before, together with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Beijing, there were no signs that China would give up its political backing for Russia in the Ukraine conflict. Xi Jinping only reiterated his intention to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“It was interesting to hear that President Xi reiterated his willingness to speak (with Zelenskyy) when the conditions and time are right,” the European Commission President told the press. “I think that’s a positive development.” Macron wanted to travel to the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou today, where he will meet Xi Jinping again. As a special gesture, the head of state and party leader is giving another dinner for his French guest.

So far only detailed conferences with Putin

Since the Russian invasion more than a year ago, Xi Jinping has not once spoken to Zelenskyy on the phone, but has held extensive conferences with Russian President Vladimir Putin several times. A good two weeks ago, China’s President even paid a visit to Moscow. However, Xi Jinping has so far ignored the Ukrainian President’s request to speak to him.

During their talks in Beijing, Macron and von der Leyen urged China’s presidents to use his influence over Putin to bring about an end to the war. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has a “great responsibility,” emphasized von der Leyen. Xi Jinping then only repeated well-known Chinese positions, pleaded in general for negotiations and indirectly went back to the Russian justification.

China’s stance in the conflict is largely determined by its geostrategic rivalry with the US and its common front with Russia against the superpower. In the talks, Xi Jinping repeatedly called on the Europeans to distance themselves from the United States. “China has always viewed Europe as an independent pole in a multipolar world.” He supports Europe’s “strategic autonomy” and hopes that it will pursue its relations with China “independently,” the Chinese president said.

Macron holds back with criticism

During the visit to Guangzhou, Macron first wanted to discuss with students from Sun Yat-sen University before meeting Xi Jinping again. The French President is a welcome guest in China because, unlike the EU Commission President, he is reluctant to criticize China and adopts a more conciliatory tone. Macron had chosen the economically strong southern province of Guangdong as his second stop because Xi Jinping’s father Xi Zhongxun held leading positions there in the late 1970s and early 1980s and started the first economic reforms.

Several business agreements were also signed during the visit, including by Airbus. The aircraft manufacturer plans to build a second assembly line at its Tianjin plant to serve the growing aviation market in China. Other agreements were signed by the French train manufacturer Alstom and the world’s second largest power producer Électricité de France EDF.

dpa