In the view of French President Emmanuel Macron, China can play a "greater 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 head of government Li Qiang was on the agenda on Thursday.
Later, Macron wanted to meet for a bilateral meeting with state and party leader Xi Jinping and a three-way round with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The focus is on the Ukraine conflict and the strained 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 the evening before at the US embassy. He referred to the close relations between China and Russia. China has reaffirmed compliance with the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty of individual countries. "Defending them also means moving forward together and trying to find a path to peace."
Macron: Position paper shows China's willingness to resolve the conflict
Macron also referred to the Chinese position paper on the Ukraine conflict presented in February: "Do we fully agree with this? No, but it's interesting," Macron said. This shows China's "willingness to engage in resolving the conflict."
The twelve-point document calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations. However, it had been critically received internationally because it showed no initiative to resolve the conflict, did not condemn the invasion and also reflected the Russian argumentation with criticism of the West.
Since the invasion of Ukraine just over a year ago, China has given President Vladimir Putin political backing. The alliance reflects the geostrategic rivalry with the US. The US and NATO are portrayed as the main culprits of the conflict. While Xi Jinping met with Putin in Moscow two weeks ago, there hasn't even been a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi since the war began.
Relations between Europe and China have also fallen to a low point as a result. In addition, there are differences over trade imbalances, human rights violations in China, territorial claims in the East and South China Seas, China's threats against democratic Taiwan, and its more aggressive stance. Against the background of the bad experiences with dependence on Russia, there are growing concerns about the dangers in economic cooperation with the second-largest economy.
No decoupling from China
Macron spoke out against a decoupling from China. Of course, there is a rivalry with the European Union, but both sides must cooperate on important international issues. EU Commission President von der Leyen made a similar statement: "I believe it is neither feasible nor in Europe's interest to decouple from China. Our relations are not either black or white – and neither can our response. That's why we need 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, high-profile 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 company and water supplier Veolia.