During a trilateral meeting in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to cooperate closely with Europe on the Ukraine conflict and to accept fair trade rules. Macron stressed the importance of cooperation with Beijing in addressing major crises like the one in Ukraine.
China’s neutrality on the Ukraine issue was acknowledged by Xi Jinping during the meeting, but concerns were raised about the possibility of Beijing supporting Moscow. While China has denied providing direct military support to Russia, it has supplied dual-use technology to help Russia rebuild its defense industry. Von der Leyen expressed trust in China’s influence over Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting the shared interests of Europe and China in peace and security. She emphasized the need to limit the supply of dual-use goods to Russia to prevent them from being used in warfare.
Trade was also a significant topic of discussion during the trilateral meeting, with both sides acknowledging challenges in their relationship, especially in economics. Macron called for fair rules in trade relations between the EU and China, emphasizing the importance of balancing their trade relationship. Xi Jinping stressed the need for dialogue and consultation to address trade differences while considering each other’s concerns.
Xi Jinping’s visit to France is part of his first European tour since 2019. Following his visit to Paris, he will travel to Serbia and Hungary, countries friendly to Russia in the region. The leaders discussed a range of issues, including
