Macron and von der Leyen hope Xi Jinping will influence Putin

In Paris, at the Elysee Palace on Monday, negotiations were held between French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in Paris the day before on a state visit. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also attended the meeting.

The main topic of the meeting, judging by Macron’s opening remarks and von der Leyen’s comments after the meeting, was trade relations between the EU and China. Both sides have recently leveled accusations against each other of unfair competition and excessive protectionism.

The war in Ukraine was also discussed at the negotiations. Von der Leyen said after the meeting that she hoped China would use its influence with Russia to end the war it is waging against Ukraine, as well as continue to play a major role in de-escalating the Kremlin’s nuclear threats. “President Xi has played an important role in de-escalating Russia’s irresponsible nuclear threats, and I am confident that President Xi will continue to do so amid Russia’s ongoing nuclear threats,” the head of the European Commission said. Macron also previously said that he expects China to play a constructive role in interaction with Moscow.

According to von der Leyen, the leaders also discussed China’s commitment not to supply Russia with “any lethal equipment.” “Additional efforts are required to reduce the supply of dual-use goods to Russia that end up on the battlefield and, given the existential nature of the threat posed by this war for both Ukraine and Europe, this really affects relations between the EU and China,” she emphasized head of the European Commission.

She said it was an “open and honest exchange and discussion of issues where we see eye-to-eye and issues where we disagree.”

Xi Jinping has not yet commented on the negotiations. In his opening remarks, he did not directly mention the war in Ukraine, but noted that the world has entered an era of turbulence and change, and in these conditions, the “strategic relationship” between China and the EU is important, including in ensuring international peace.

• A number of media outlets previously reported that China’s position could have influenced the fact that in the fall of 2022 Russia abandoned possible plans to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
• On May 6, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it was preparing exercises to use these weapons, reportedly in connection with threats from the West.
• Xi Jinping makes his first visit to EU countries in 5 years. Negotiations with Macron are due to continue on Tuesday. After returning to China, the Chinese President expects a visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin.