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08-04-2023
BEIJING: French President Emmanuel Macron called on his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday to “bring Russia to its senses” over Ukraine and urged him not to deliver weapons to Moscow.
The French president, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, has made clear he is seeking to dissuade China from supporting Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
“I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table,” Macron told Xi during a bilateral meeting.
The two leaders met Thursday after a formal welcome ceremony in Tiananmen Square, complete with a 21-gun salute.
In remarks to the press following their meeting, Xi said he “stood ready to issue a joint call with France” for the resumption of “peace talks as soon as possible”, according to Chinese state media Xinhua.
He reiterated his support of the “solemn pledge that nuclear weapons must not be used” and for all parties to “avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities”.
“In this regard, everyone must be reminded of their duties, especially Russia,” Macron replied.
A recent announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus “is not consistent with the commitments made to you, to us and to international law,” Macron said next to Xi Jinping.
Xi went to Moscow last month to reaffirm his alliance with Putin framed as an anti-Western front but has not yet spoken directly with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to a French diplomat, Xi expressed a willingness to speak with Zelensky, but only when the time is right.
Emmanuel Macron “pressed Xi Jinping not to deliver anything to Russia that would be used for its war against Ukraine”, added the French diplomat, following Western claims that Beijing could be mulling arms shipments to support Russia´s war.
European Commission (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen, who is accompanying Macron on his visit, welcomed Xi’s openness to speaking with Zelensky.
She said that in her own meeting on Thursday with Chinese leaders, she warned that arms shipments to Russia would “significantly harm” relations. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
