French President Emmanuel Macron will pay an “official visit” to China from April 5 to 8, accompanied by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with the main goal of “working” with Chinese President Xi Jinping “to restore peace” in Ukraine. .

Macron’s trip was announced at the end of February, but the French presidency did not announce the exact dates, regions he would visit and his goals until Friday.

“Committed to maintaining a constant and demanding dialogue with China,” Macron will travel to Beijing and Guangzhou province.

“The presidents of France and China will negotiate the war in Ukraine in order to work to restore peace and this is within the framework of respect for international law, especially with regard to the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” she said. , French Presidency.

In February, Beijing released a 12-point text calling for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and a “political settlement” of the conflict.

The French president described China’s initiative as positive, but stressed that peace can only be achieved if Russia withdraws its troops from Ukraine.

France also wants to pressure China, which has never publicly criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to influence Moscow to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table with Kiev.

According to the French president, Macron and Xi will discuss “international crises in the Middle East, Africa and tensions in the Indo-Pacific.”

“The visit will focus on three main themes: strategic issues and international crises, cooperation in the face of major global challenges and economic relations.”

As Macron announced yesterday during a press conference in Brussels, von der Leyen will attend “as part of the program”, in the name of “European unity”, “a basic condition for restoring a balanced cooperative relationship with China.”

In addition, the President of the European Commission will speak from Brussels on Thursday on the EU’s relations with China.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP.