European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron are visiting China today to discuss relations with a major economic partner, while issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will be raised.

Beijing could “play an important role” in “finding a path to peace” in Ukraine, Macron said at the start of his three-day official visit to China. “China has proposed a peace plan (…). It is about the desire to take responsibility and make an effort to pave the way for peace,” Macron added in his speech to the French community in China.

The French president also said that Europe should not disconnect economically from China, even though its trade relationship with Beijing is risky and unbalanced.

“We must somehow remove the risks for our industries (…), but we must not separate and separate” from China, but “voluntarily commit ourselves to continue to have trade relations with China,” the French president stressed.

Macron invited von der Leyen on a trip to demonstrate European unity after French officials criticized German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his visit to China late last year.

The last time a French president visited China was in 2019, and it will be von der Leyen’s first trip since she took over as European Commission president the same year.

Since then, China’s tight grip on the pandemic has curtailed all online diplomatic engagements as relations with Europe have been strained, first over an investment pact stuck in 2021 and then over Beijing’s refusal to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine.

Before leaving for Beijing, Macron spoke by phone with his American counterpart Joe Biden, and the two leaders expressed a “common will” to press China’s commitment to “accelerate the end of the war in Ukraine,” he said. Elysian. “The two leaders referred to their common will for China to commit itself to speeding up the end of the war in Ukraine and to participate in building a lasting peace in the region,” the French president said in a press release.

“Attack” von der Leyen – Macron is careful

Last week, the President of the European Commission warned that the EU must be ready to develop measures to protect trade and investment that China can use for its own security and military purposes. China is both a trading partner and competitor of the EU, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Monday, sending a message to Chinese authorities that they “must stop playing double standards.”

“Of course, China remains an important market for many European companies, but the EU internal market is critical for China,” he added.

Macron generally supports von der Leyen’s position on Beijing but refrains from using harsh anti-China rhetoric. Characteristically, he brings with him a large delegation of business leaders, including representatives from EDF, Alstom, Veolia and aerospace giant Airbus. A potential deal with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus could be in the works after China ordered 300 aircraft worth 30 billion euros in 2019, according to an Elysees official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna are also traveling with the president.

China’s position in Ukrainian

The French president wants to play a more “personal card” with his Chinese counterpart after he came under fire last year for hours of fruitless phone calls with Putin shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A senior French official admitted to the Associated Press that despite Macron’s efforts, the Elysee Palace does not expect significant changes in China. However, Macron will push for initiatives to help Ukrainian citizens and possible ways to pave the way for a solution, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, in line with the usual practice of the French presidency.

Earlier this year, China proposed a 12-point plan to resolve the Ukraine crisis, which called on both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation leading to a comprehensive ceasefire. But the plan was largely rejected by the West due to China’s refusal to condemn Russia, while the US and NATO said at the time that Beijing was considering sending weapons, which it denied.

Source: Politico, Reuters.