"I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table" to end the Ukrainian conflict, Emmanuel Macron told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday, March 6, during a meeting. interview at the People's Palace in Beijing.
After all the ceremonial of a state visit - reception in front of the troops near Tiananmen Square, national anthems, 21 cannon shots - the two leaders tried to display a certain convergence of views. We need "a resumption of discussions as soon as possible to build a lasting peace", estimated Emmanuel Macron at the end of the interview, while Xi Jinping pleaded for "a resumption of peace discussions as soon as possible".
"Nuclear weapons cannot be used", underlined the Chinese head of state who condemned any "attack against civilians" as well as any "use of biological and chemical weapons".
"In this respect, everyone must be reminded of their duties, in particular Russia, which announced the other day that it wanted to deploy such" nuclear weapons in Belarus, "which is not in accordance with the commitments made to you, to us and international law," added the French president, addressing the press alongside Xi Jinping.
Moscow hostile to mediation
If he did not say so in front of journalists, Emmanuel Macron also "urged Xi Jinping not to deliver anything to Russia that would serve his war against Ukraine", according to a French diplomat.
Also present for a trilateral meeting which followed the tete-a-tete between the two heads of state, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was even more explicit: "Arming the aggressor would go to against international law and would significantly harm our relationship,” she warned.
Xi Jinping also said he was ready to call his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, as the latter hopes, we were assured on the French side, even if he specified that he would do so when he has himself chosen. A gesture of openness that remains to be confirmed but deemed "positive" by the European leader.
In recent weeks, international pressure has escalated to urge China to get involved in the search for peace. The Kremlin, however, on Thursday ruled out the possibility of Chinese mediation to stop the fighting, because "the situation with Ukraine is complex, there are no prospects for a political settlement".
If Beijing says it is neutral, Xi Jinping has never condemned the Russian invasion or even spoken on the phone, so far, with Mr. Zelensky. Conversely, he recently went to Moscow to reaffirm his partnership with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the guise of an anti-Western front.
Difference in tone
“China has clearly not budged. The goal is for China to do what it says, which is not the case at the moment, "reacted to AFP on Thursday Antoine Bondaz, researcher at the Foundation for strategic research. In this context, Emmanuel Macron has the ambition to "be a voice that unites Europe", which is why he says he has invited the President of the European Commission to accompany him.
Their tone was consistent with their statements of the last days. The French president, who had judged the day before that Beijing could play a "major role" to "find a path to peace" in Ukraine, insisted on Thursday on the "importance" of "dialogue", considering that we "arrange to get results from being respectful better than from lecturing."
Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, issued a much harsher warning last week in Brussels: "How China continues to react to Putin's war will be a determining factor in the future of relations between the 'EU and China'.
This visit comes against a backdrop of new tensions around the question of Taiwan, just after the meeting, in the United States, between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and the President of the American House of Representatives, the Republican Kevin McCarthy.
"Strong Measures"
On Thursday, Beijing promised "firm and forceful measures" and the authorities of the island that China wants to bring back into its fold immediately announced that they had detected three warships and a Chinese anti-submarine warfare helicopter nearby.
President Macron's trip, which aims to renew face-to-face dialogue after three years at a distance due to the health crisis, had an important economic component: he was accompanied by more than 50 French business leaders.
On Thursday, Franco-Chinese agreements in civil nuclear power or agriculture were concluded. And Airbus will double its aircraft production capacity in China, from 2025, by installing a second assembly line in Tianjin (north). An agreement with the Forbidden City has also been announced by the Palace of Versailles for an exhibition in 2024 in China on exchanges between the two countries in the 18th century.
Emmanuel Macron will end his visit on Friday with a stopover in Canton, where he will have dinner one last time with Xi Jinping.
