Macron meets Xi in Beijing as he urges China to push for Ukraine ceasefire

[ad_1] French President Emmanuel Macron met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, the place he's anticipated to push the Chinese language chief to assist safe a ceasefire in Ukraine and talk about commerce relations.

Macron and his spouse Brigitte got a grand welcome by Xi and his associate Peng Liyuan on the Nice Corridor of the Folks, the place the ceremony was moved indoors because of chilly climate.

Macron blew kisses to youngsters who held flowers and welcomed the president, whereas a band performed the nationwide anthems of each international locations.

The French president, who's visiting China for the fourth time since taking workplace in 2017, can be anticipated to satisfy Premier Li Qiang earlier than travelling to Chengdu, the place two large pandas loaned to France have been not too long ago returned.

Macron has sought to strain Xi to assist safe a ceasefire in Ukraine because the conflict with Russia drags right into a fourth winter.

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"We're relying on China, like us a everlasting member of the Safety Council ... to lean on Russia, in order that Russia and, specifically, Vladimir Putin can lastly comply with a ceasefire," French Overseas Minister Jean-Noel Barrot mentioned this week.

China frequently requires peace talks and respect for the territorial integrity of all international locations, however has by no means condemned Russia for its 2022 invasion.

Western governments accuse Beijing of offering Russia with essential financial help for its conflict effort, notably by supplying it with army parts for its defence trade.

The French presidency mentioned Macron will inform Xi that China should "chorus from offering any means, by any means, to Russia to proceed the conflict".

His three-day go to to Beijing follows a visit to Paris by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged Europe to face by Kyiv as US President Donald Trump pushes a plan to finish the conflict.

"We share the view that the conflict have to be delivered to a good finish," Zelensky wrote on social media after Monday's talks with Macron, which additionally included telephone calls with different European leaders.

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<img fetchpriority="low" src="https://s.france24.com/media/display/e10eec76-d085-11f0-84a2-005056bf30b7/w:1280/p:16x9/EN-20251203-211222-211821-CS.jpg" srcset="https://s.france24.com/media/display/e10eec76-d085-11f0-84a2-005056bf30b7/w:388/p:16x9/EN-20251203-211222-211821-CS.jpg 388w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/e10eec76-d085-11f0-84a2-005056bf30b7/w:720/p:16x9/EN-20251203-211222-211821-CS.jpg 720w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/e10eec76-d085-11f0-84a2-005056bf30b7/w:1024/p:16x9/EN-20251203-211222-211821-CS.jpg 1024w,https://s.france24.com/media/display/e10eec76-d085-11f0-84a2-005056bf30b7/w:1280/p:16x9/EN-20251203-211222-211821-CS.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 639px) calc(100vw - 32px), (max-width: 1076px) calc(100vw - 44px), 850px" width="1280" height="720" alt="" loading="lazy" class="a-img "/> © France 24 Commerce talks Macron can be because of talk about commerce along with his Chinese language hosts, with the European Union dealing with an enormous commerce deficit of $357 billion with the Asian powerhouse.

"It's crucial for China to eat extra and export much less... and for Europeans to save lots of much less and produce extra," an adviser to Macron mentioned.

Macron has beforehand referred to as for the European Union to cut back its dependence on China and for a "European desire" within the tech sector.

Final month, he advised a European summit of tech leaders and ministers from throughout the continent that the bloc doesn't wish to be a "vassal" to US and Chinese language tech corporations.

The French president will keep in China till Friday, with a last cease in Chengdu within the southwestern province of Sichuan.

Final week, two large pandas loaned to France by China have been flown to their ancestral house to retire at an animal sanctuary within the metropolis.

The Chinese language embassy promised new bears would quickly be dispatched to make up for the favored pair leaving.

The Chengdu go to is "fairly distinctive in Chinese language protocol", the French presidency mentioned, including it was "appreciated as such" by Macron.

Throughout his final journey to China, the French president was given a rock-star welcome at a college within the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, with college students chanting his title and scrambling for selfies and high-fives.