French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in China on a three-day state visit on Wednesday, where he will focus on trade and diplomatic talks. The purpose of this trip is to get Beijing’s help in putting pressure on Russia for a ceasefire in Ukraine. According to Macron’s office, the French president will advocate an agenda of economic and trade cooperation aimed at ensuring a “balanced, sustainable and mutually beneficial development process.” France is trying to attract more investment from Chinese companies and easier access to markets for French exports.
Many agreements are expected to be signed in energy, food industry and aviation sectors during the visit. Macron and his wife Brigitte were wearing overcoats when they got off the plane at an airport in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed them and after the conversation, the French couple left by limousine. France will host the G7 summit of the world’s major economies in 2026, while China will chair the 21-member APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. The Russia-Ukraine war will also be a major issue in the talks between Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping. After a meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, Macron is pushing ahead with talks on possible ceasefire terms.
A top French diplomatic official said, “We want China to persuade Russia to take steps towards a cease-fire as soon as possible and then to ensure solid security guarantees for Ukraine through negotiations.” At the same time, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that dialogue and negotiations are necessary to resolve the Ukraine crisis and that China supports “all efforts in the direction of peace”. Ap