With von der Leyen at Xi Jinping
Macron wants China to mediate in the Ukraine war
4/6/2023 6:37 am
Since the invasion of Ukraine, China has been giving President Putin political backing on the one hand, while the People’s Republic is appealing to compliance with the UN Charter on the other. French President Macron would like to see a sharper role model from Beijing during his state visit.
French President Emmanuel Macron believes that China can play a “bigger role” on the way to a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict. At the start of his talks with the Chinese leadership, a meeting with the new Prime Minister Li Qiang was on the agenda on Thursday. Macron later wanted to hold bilateral talks with head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and a round of three with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The focus is on the Ukraine conflict and the troubled relations between China and the European Union. In the discussion about the Ukraine conflict, he wanted to try “to involve China in terms of a shared responsibility for peace and stability,” Macron said in a speech at the US embassy the night before. He referred to the close ties between China and Russia. China has reaffirmed compliance with the UN Charter, which includes territorial integrity and sovereignty of individual countries. “Defending them also means going forward together and trying to find a path to peace.”
Macron also referred to the Chinese position paper on the Ukraine conflict presented in February: “Do we completely agree with that? No, but it’s interesting,” said Macron. “It shows his willingness to commit to resolving the conflict.” The 12-point document calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations. However, it was received critically internationally because it showed no initiative to resolve the conflict, did not condemn the invasion and also reflected the Russian arguments with criticism of the West.
China has been providing political backing for President Vladimir Putin since the invasion of Ukraine a good year ago. The alliance reflects the geostrategic rivalry with the United States. The US and NATO are portrayed as the main culprits in the conflict. While Xi Jinping met with Putin in Moscow two weeks ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not even spoken on the phone since the beginning of the war. Relations between Europe and China have also fallen to a low because of this.
Macron: No decoupling from China
In addition, there are differences over imbalances in trade relations, human rights violations in China, territorial claims in the East and South China Seas, China’s threats against democratic Taiwan and its more aggressive behavior. Against the background of bad experiences with dependence on Russia, concerns about the dangers of economic cooperation with the second largest economy are growing.
Macron spoke out against a decoupling from China. Of course there is a rivalry with the European Union, but both sides have to work together on important international issues. EU Commission President von der Leyen said something similar: “I think it is neither feasible nor in Europe’s interest to decouple from China. Our relations are not either black or white – and our answer cannot be either. That’s why we have to focus on risk mitigation rather than decoupling.”
Despite all the concerns, the expansion of economic cooperation between France and China is an important topic of Macron’s visit. He is accompanied by a 60-strong, top-class French business delegation – including representatives of the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world’s second largest electricity producer Électricité de France EDF, the train manufacturer Alstom and the waste disposal company and water supplier Veolia.