Before his state visit to China, French President Emmanuel Macron coordinated with US President Joe Biden. Both presidents spoke about the three-day visit for which Macron will arrive in Beijing today, as the White House in Washington announced.
“They reiterated their unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s continued aggression,” the statement said.
The French embassy in Washington said: “Both heads of state discussed their common desire to engage China to expedite the end of the war in Ukraine and participate in building a lasting peace in the region.” After arriving in Beijing, the French President first wanted to meet members of the French community in China. The official talks begin on Thursday.
sign of unity
After a meeting with the new Chinese head of government, Li Qiang, Macron will be received by head of state and party leader Xi Jinping. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is also joining the talks. “Given the close proximity between China and Russia, it is clear that China is one of the few countries in the world, if not the only one, that can have a game-changing effect on this conflict,” the Elysee said.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine a good year ago, China has given President Vladimir Putin political backing. Beijing also portrayed the USA and NATO as the main culprits in the conflict. While Xi Jinping met with Putin in Moscow two weeks ago and China’s head of government was still on the phone with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin on Tuesday, they have not once spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the beginning of the war.
Macron’s alignment with Biden also sends a sign of unity ahead of the Frenchman’s Beijing talks. There had been speculation beforehand as to whether Macron might be able to pursue a more independent course in dealing with the People’s Republic. China is courting the Europeans to isolate rival USA.
