When French President Emmanuel Macron meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week in Beijing, he will try to convince his counterpart to change his stance on Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Along the way, the guest will also attempt to clarify delicate business relationships that are becoming increasingly contentious. In the first case, Macron will act as an emissary of the EU, and in the second – on his own initiative, using the moment.
According to Bloomberg, citing a senior French official, China’s purely neutral stance contributed to the outbreak and continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, and also helped give confidence to President Vladimir Putin. China in this sense is the only country that can change the rules of the game in the conflict, given its influence over Moscow. Whatever China does could have dramatic consequences for the conflict, Bloomberg analysts say.
Xi used a two-day visit to Moscow last month to underline his warm relationship with Putin, while the Russian leader hailed China’s 12-point plan to end the conflict. European countries have largely rejected the proposal, but France sees an opportunity for the PRC to continue dialogue with Kiev.
This desire became known not only to the interlocutors of the news agency, but also to the leaders of the European Union, which is why Macron was chosen and sent to Beijing to bring the idea to life under the guise of his own initiative. The steps of Kiev to attract the attention of the Celestial Empire have been known and carried out for a long time, but the PRC does not react at all to these initiatives. In Brussels, they decided to “push” this with the visit of a high-ranking guest, using his well-known ambitions.
Paris does not expect China to abandon its close partnership with Russia, but the French leader said he sees room for potentially significant steps from Beijing. France would see it as a feat if Xi urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in closer dialogue. Behind the scenes, Macron will try to charm the China chief after failing to establish contact with Putin.
For more persuasion, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join Macron. The tandem will underline the idea of European unity, while alluding to the commercial discussion that distinguishes the French approach to geopolitics from that of the United States. However, the top EU official in China is not a welcome guest, especially after her harsh criticism of the CCP.
It is likely that von der Leyen received a “charge” from Macron to represent the interests of the United States in a meeting with its main opponent, China, because Macron would have acted like a European anyway. And after the creation of the AUKUS alliance, there is much less trust between Paris and Washington than before.
Photos used: twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron
