French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday to negotiate with Russia and help end the war in Ukraine, as the two heads of state held the first of a series of high-level meetings in Beijing.

“Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to (international) stability,” Macron told Xi as he stood with the Chinese president outside the Hall of the People before their meeting.

“I know that I can count on you to bring Russia back to its senses and bring everyone to the negotiating table.”

Macron also asked Xi to pressure Russia to abide by international norms on nuclear non-proliferation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, seen as a dangerous escalation in a bloody conflict that has lasted more than a year.

Macron and von der Leyen are lobbying Ukraine

Macron’s visit, along with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, comes after years of strained relations with Beijing over issues ranging from a stalled investment pact to China’s reluctance to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

But speaking to the media after his arrival on Wednesday, Macron said Europe must resist scaling back trade and diplomatic ties with China and reject what some have described as an “inevitable spiral” of tensions between China and the West.

Von der Leyen, on her first trip to China since taking over as European Commission president in 2019, was also due to meet Xi later before the three held trilateral talks later in the evening.

Macron also met with Premier Li Qiang before meeting Xi for an elaborate ceremony outside the Great Hall, where the two leaders witnessed a 21-gun salute and walked side-by-side down a red carpet as a marching band played their national anthems.

Xi said China and France have the ability and responsibility to overcome “differences” and “constraints” as the world undergoes deep historical changes, state media reported.

Some analysts have suggested that Macron and von der Leyen could take on the role of “good cop, bad cop” in Beijing, with the jovial French promoting a “reset” of ties and the EC president exposing thornier issues and red lines in relations with China . -West.

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