French President Emmanuel Macron is currently in Beijing urging his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to "bring Russia to its senses" over the war in Ukraine.
The French leader has made it crystal clear that his purpose is to dissuade China from offering any level of support to Moscow, whether political, economic or military. "I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table," Macron told Xi during a bilateral meeting as part of the 3-day visit.
 |
| Via Reuters |
A joint statement to follow emphasized their mutual call for peace talks "as soon as possible" as well as reaffirming opposition to nuclear weapons threats or use.
The Chinese leader then said in the following in a press conference, per the NY Times:
Mr. Xi, addressing journalists later, went some way toward responding positively. He said that "together with France, we appeal for restraint and reason" in the conflict, adding that China was seeking "a quick return to peace negotiations in the quest for a political settlement, and the building of a European architecture that is balanced and lasting."
The Chinese leader, flanked by Mr. Macron, said that China "appeals for the protection of civilians. Nuclear weapons must not be used, and nuclear war must be avoided."
Macron had previewed his trip by touting he could play a "major role" in forging a path to peace, based on China's "willingness to commit to a resolution".
Xi is of course coming off a very 'friendly' state visit to Moscow last month where he met with President Vladimir Putin, with China's 12-point peace plan in hand. While little to no concrete breakthroughs resulted from that meeting, there was hope among European officials that China could at least get the ball rolling toward future peace negotiations.
Macron implores China to put "pressure" on Putin regarding the Ukraine invasion:
Macron – at a meeting with Xi Jinping, he persuades “pressure on Russia” https://t.co/9ZYLu0aGTb pic.twitter.com/BSkMgsdqOl
— Victor vicktop55 (@vicktop55) April 6, 2023
The Chinese president has also reaffirmed willingness to speak with Ukraine's President Zelensky:
Xi Jinping "reiterated his willingness" to speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine "when conditions and time are right" but offered no timeline for such a conversation, the head of the European Commission said on Thursday after meeting with China’s top leader.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission, which is the European Union’s executive arm, told reporters that she had encouraged Mr. Xi to reach out to the Ukrainian president.
This week, Ukraine for the first time has begun to hint that it could be willing to make concessions, particularly concerning the future of Crimea, which has already been firmly in Russian hands since 2014.
On Thursday the Macron-Xi joint statement was greeted positively by European markets, with the euro climbing to a session high on news Xi would seek an active role in pursuing peace talks. Per Bloomberg, "EUR/USD is up 0.1% at 1.0916 after being down as much as 0.2%; common currency climbs to highest level since August 2021 against Aussie."
But news out of Beijing was met with a shrug from the Kremlin, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Russia currently sees no "prospect" for China to mediate the Ukraine conflict. For now Russia must press on with its offensive, he said. "Undoubtedly, China has a very effective and commanding potential for mediation," Peskov explained. "But the situation with Ukraine is complex, so far there are no prospects for a political settlement."
(Article by Tyler Durden republished from Zerohedge.com)