Beijing should rein in Moscow
Xi and Macron want to make “Olympic peace” possible
May 7, 2024, 9:52 a.m
It is an unwritten law that weapons are silent in conflicts during the Olympic Games. French President Macron hopes that Chinese leader Xi will exert influence on Moscow. He is ready for this. However, he apparently does not want to take part in planned peace negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed China’s support for the plan for “Olympic peace” during the Paris Summer Games. “I thank you for your commitment to calling on all parties involved to reach an Olympic peace,” Macron said on Monday after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Paris. Both sides agree that an Olympic peace can be an opportunity for all theaters of war to work for a lasting peace in compliance with international law, he added.
Xi also assured him that China remains committed “not to sell weapons to Moscow and to strictly control the export of dual-use items.” “We respect the historical ties between China and Russia,” Macron said.
Xi said China has always been committed to peace. “But we refuse to use this crisis to blame others, damage their image and start a new Cold War,” he added, without specifying which country was involved.
China supports organizing a peace conference “at an appropriate time” that will be accepted by both Russia and Ukraine, he added. In doing so, he indirectly declared that China would not take part in the peace conference for Ukraine planned in Switzerland in June.
At the beginning of the meeting with Xi, Macron said that coordination with China was “absolutely crucial” with regard to the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said she was “confident” that China would use its influence to de-escalate Moscow in the face of Russia’s latest nuclear threats.