By Francesco Fontemaggi
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a visit in which he hopes to dissuade China from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while also forging closer ties with a crucial trade partner.
Macron will look to stand firm on Ukraine during talks with his counterpart Xi Jinping and offer “another path” from the directly confrontational tone often heard from Washington, an official from his office told reporters ahead of the three-day trip.
The French leader’s aims include preserving and rebalancing China’s trade ties with Europe as well as safeguarding French interests in the Asia-Pacific, where Paris sees itself as a player due to its overseas territories and military deployments.
On the eve of his visit, Macron discussed his trip to China and support for Ukraine during a phone call with US President Joe Biden, the White House said.
The conversation showed the “common will of France and the United States to engage the Chinese to accelerate with us the end of the war in Ukraine and build a lasting peace”, Macron’s office said.
The US and French presidents also hope to “obtain from the Chinese a contribution to the global effort of North-South solidarity” and to build “a common agenda” on climate and biodiversity.
Macron landed in Beijing at around 3:15 pm (0715 GMT), and after emerging into the capital’s brisk spring air below overcast skies, he was greeted on the tarmac by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang as soldiers watched on.
A waiting motorcade led by dozens of police on bikes then whisked Macron away to the residence of the country’s ambassador to meet with a group representing China’s French community.
He will hold talks on Thursday with Chinese leaders and attend a state dinner in the evening.
On Friday, he will travel to Guangzhou in southern China to meet local students, taking with him a broad delegation of top politicians, business leaders and even celebrities, including composer Jean-Michel Jarre.
‘Nerve centre’
Macron’s visit — his first in four years — coincides with a flashpoint meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on Wednesday.
Beijing has said it would “closely monitor the situation and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity”, and warned McCarthy that he would be “playing with fire” by meeting Tsai.
China claims democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be taken one day, by force if necessary.
Also visiting Beijing this week is European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who met Macron in Paris on Monday to coordinate preparations.
In a speech last week, von der Leyen cautioned Beijing against direct support for the war in Ukraine, while ruling out the EU “decoupling” from China.
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