Macron calls on China to join peaceful settlement in Ukraine at meeting with Xi in Beijing
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning as part of a three-day state visit focused on trade and diplomacy, The Washington Post has reported.
The French leader is reportedly seeking to engage Beijing in pressure on Russia to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine after a recent surge in diplomatic activity around a U.S.-led peace plan.
"We are facing the risk of a collapse of the international order that has brought peace to the world for decades, and in this context, dialogue between China and France is more important than ever, " Macron said Thursday.
"I hope that China will join our call, our efforts to achieve at least a ceasefire in the form of a moratorium on attacks on critical infrastructure as soon as possible," he added.
Xi did not respond to France’s call, but said "China supports all efforts to achieve peace" and called for a peace agreement that would be accepted by all parties.
China has provided strong diplomatic support to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, and has also provided economic assistance through increased trade.
Xi called for strengthening political trust with France through mutual support and demonstrating each other’s "independence."
"No matter how the external environment changes, the two sides as major powers should always demonstrate independence and strategic vision, show mutual understanding and mutual support for each other on major issues and important critical problems. China and France should demonstrate their sense of responsibility, hold high the banner of multilateralism ... and stand firmly on the right side of history," he said.