Ukraine-Gaza wars top agenda during Chinese leader Xi’s visit to France

Issued on: 04/29/2024 – 19:10Modified: 04/29/2024 – 19:11

3 minutes

The visit to France, which will be followed by trips to Serbia and Hungary, marks the Chinese leader’s first European tour since the coronavirus pandemic.

“This visit takes place on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and follows the president’s visit to Beijing and Guangzhou in April 2023,” President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement.

“The exchanges will focus on international crises, first of all the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, trade issues and scientific, cultural and sporting cooperation,” the Elysee Palace added.

According to the statement, Xi and Macron will also discuss “joint actions to address global challenges, in particular the climate emergency, the protection of biodiversity and the financial situation of the most vulnerable countries.”

“China hopes to work with France to use this visit as an opportunity,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also referring to Beijing’s willingness to “make new contributions to peace, stability, development and world progress”.

Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron will host Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan in Paris on May 6. On May 7, the two couples will travel to the southwestern department of Hautes-Pyrénées, where Macron often traveled as a child to see his grandmother.

‘Continue collaborating with China’

France is preparing to host the Olympics this summer and Macron has said he will do “everything possible” to achieve an Olympic truce during the Games.

The truce is a historical tradition that peace reigns during the Olympic Games.

Macron has said he will ask the Chinese president to help him achieve that goal when he visits Paris.

Macron has been trying to dissuade China from supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. In 2023, the French president called on Xi to “make Russia see reason” about Ukraine and urged him not to hand over weapons to Moscow.

But despite Western pressure, cooperation between China and Russia has only grown since the invasion of Ukraine.

“We must continue to collaborate with China, which is objectively the international actor with the greatest influence to change Moscow’s mind,” said a French diplomatic source, although he acknowledged that no immediate progress should be expected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he plans to visit China in May, his first trip abroad since his re-election in March.

The West has viewed Russia and China with increasing anxiety in the past two years as they boost military cooperation and seek to expand their global influence.

Beijing, which claims to be a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, has been criticized for refusing to condemn Moscow for its offensive.

In mid-April, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Xi to pressure Russia to end its “pointless” war in Ukraine.

And last week, top US diplomat Antony Blinken urged China to curb support for Russia when he met Xi for talks.

‘Eastern Opening’

After visiting France, Xi will visit Serbia and Hungary. It will stop in Hungary from May 8 to 10, the government of the Central European country announced last week.

Despite its small size, Hungary has attracted a flood of major Chinese projects in recent years, mostly related to battery and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.

The Hungarian government boasted of having projects worth around 15 billion euros coming from the Asian country underway.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been championing an “Eastern opening” foreign policy since returning to power in 2010, seeking closer economic ties with China, Russia and other Asian countries.

Last October, the Hungarian prime minister was the only EU leader to attend the summit of Xi’s flagship Belt and Road initiative in Beijing.

(AFP)