French president takes on difficult mediation mission Emmanuel Macron with my trip to Chinain the hope of Beijing’s peaceful intervention in war in Ukraine. China has never clearly condemned the Russian invasion and has avoided using the word “war” in its official statements about the conflict.

Instead, he adopted a policy of close cooperation with Moscow, and President Xi Jinping spoke of a “new era” for the two countries free from US rule. However, the French president seems to have noticed traces of China’s preoccupation with the course of the war in Ukraine and a tendency to distance itself from Moscow’s close embrace. China did not reject Zelenskiy’s proposal last month for Chinese involvement in seeking a diplomatic solution.

While Washington has expressed distrust of China’s peace initiatives, Macron made sure to brief his US counterpart before heading to China on Tuesday. The French President criticized the Biden administration’s hard line on Beijing, believing that any “cut” in relations with the EU. “China will harm European interests. The German auto industry is heavily dependent on the Chinese market, while negotiations are underway to sign a major contract for the sale of Airbus aircraft to China. Beijing sees benefits in tightening relations with European economic giants such as Germany and France at a time of tense relations with the US. President Xi held several hours of talks with his French counterpart during the latter’s three-day visit, which also included a visit to the city of Guangzhou, where the Chinese leader grew up. Macron, for his part, has rare economic bargaining power with Beijing and thus could push China to take a more constructive diplomatic approach to the Ukraine crisis. China’s recent mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran demonstrates Beijing’s diplomatic skills.

The signing of a major contract for the sale of Airbus aircraft to China is on the way.

The role of a tough negotiator was taken over by the chairman of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who accompanied Macron to China. For his part, the French president is aware of the threat Putin and Xi pose to Western values ​​and democracy, but insists dialogue is the only way to make a difference. However, this dialogue between Macron and President Putin, despite its intensity during the first period of the war, has been interrupted in recent months without producing any results. “We are US allies. We should not be equidistant between Beijing and Washington. Our position on China is different from the position of Washington, because we simply have different interests,” emphasizes a government spokesman in Paris.

According to French diplomacy, which wants to reunite with Beijing on the basis of frank dialogue, China’s ability to cause harm, whether it be arming Russia or invading Taiwan, is too great. While Macron — and the entire European continent — welcomes American support for the war in Ukraine, he does not want a thaw in transatlantic relations to mean the loss of China for Europe.