Macron presses Xi on Ukraine ceasefire as leaders meet in Beijing

Beijing: French President Emmanuel Macron met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, using the visit to urge China to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine and to address growing trade tensions between Europe and the world’s second-largest economy.

Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were welcomed with full ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, where proceedings were moved indoors due to cold weather. The French leader blew kisses to children offering flowers as a military band performed the national anthems of both countries.

It is Macron’s fourth visit to China since taking office in 2017. He is also scheduled to meet Premier Li Qiang before travelling to Chengdu, where two giant pandas loaned to France were recently returned to China.

Macron has repeatedly sought to press Xi to use his influence over Moscow as Russia’s war in Ukraine moves into its fourth winter. “We are counting on China, like us a permanent member of the Security Council… to lean on Russia, so that Russia and, in particular, Vladimir Putin can finally agree to a ceasefire,” France’s foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said earlier this week.

Macron told Jinping that France and China must work through their “differences” , adding that it was their “responsibility to overcome them for the greater good.”

Macron further urged Xi to work with G7 for rules-based economic governance.

While Beijing routinely calls for dialogue and respect for the territorial integrity of all nations, it has avoided condemning Russia’s 2022 invasion. Western governments accuse China of providing Moscow with essential economic support, including components used in Russia’s defence industry.

The Élysée Palace said Macron would tell Xi that China must “refrain from providing any means, by any means, to Russia to continue the war”.

Xi Jinping on Thursday urged the need for “more stable” relations with France, stating that China was ready to work together “to exclude any interference” and to ensure that the countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership becomes “more stable”.

His three-day trip comes shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Paris, urging European leaders to maintain support for Kyiv as US President Donald Trump pushes his own plan to end the conflict. “We share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end,” Zelensky said following talks with Macron on Monday.

Trade tensions on the agenda

Alongside the Ukraine crisis, trade is expected to feature prominently in Thursday’s discussions. The European Union is contending with a vast trade deficit of around $357 billion with China. An adviser to Macron said, “It is necessary for China to consume more and export less… and for Europeans to save less and produce more.”

Macron has repeatedly called for the EU to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing and for a stronger “European preference” in strategic sectors such as technology. Addressing a European tech summit last month, he warned that the bloc must avoid becoming a “vassal” of American and Chinese tech giants.

The French president will remain in China until Friday, concluding his visit in Chengdu, Sichuan province. Two giant pandas previously on loan to France were repatriated to a local sanctuary last week, with Chinese officials promising that new bears would soon be sent to replace the popular pair. The stop in Chengdu is “quite exceptional in Chinese protocol”, the Élysée noted, adding that Macron “appreciated” the gesture.

During his previous visit to China, Macron received a rock-star reception from students in Guangzhou, who chanted his name and crowded around for selfies and high-fives.

AFP