14:08, 5 April 2023

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, ARMENPRESS. French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in China for a three-day state visit in which he hopes to dissuade Xi Jinping from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also developing European trade ties with Beijing.

“China is the only country in the world capable of having an immediate and radical impact on the conflict, in one direction or the other,” the Guardian quoted an official from the French president’s office as saying of the war in Ukraine.

Paris sees China as a possible “gamechanger” in the war: able to tip the balance in a positive way through potential dialogue on conditions for an end to the conflict, or in a negative way if Beijing were to increase support for Russia and provide arms.

But Macron wants to stand firm on the issue of Ukraine while taking a pragmatic French stance – described as “another path” from the directly confrontational tone often heard from the US, an official said.

The French president’s visit, his first to China since the Covid pandemic, will include more than six hours of time with Xi, between meetings and banquets.

Key issues under discussion will be the Ukraine war and the rebalancing of trade links after stringent zero-Covid regulations, as well as the climate crisis and renewable energy. There will also be talks on renewing cultural links and travel, as Paris wants to encourage Chinese tourists back to France.

Macron will be joined for part of the visit by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

A delegation of 60 business leaders, including the bosses of Airbus and EDF, are traveling with Macron.