Chinese President Xi Jinping pledges to “support any effort to restore peace in Ukraine”. This is what we can read in any case in the joint declaration published this Friday evening April 7, at the end of the visit to China by French President Emmanuel Macron. A declaration in which neither Russia nor the condemnation of the Russian invasion appears.
With our correspondent in Beijing, Stephane Lagarde
In the joint declaration between France and China, published this Friday evening, the Chinese president undertakes to ” support any effort to restore peace in Ukraine “. But in this document in 51 points there is neither Russia nor condemnation of the Russian invasion. A renewed call for peace in Ukraine, yes, but still no condemnation of Russia.
Every time the Europeans come to China, they draw a blank on Ukraine, and Xi Jinping reels over and over again China’s positions of principle contained in the chinese twelve point peace planmurmur here the pessimists.
And in fact, as for Charles Michel, Olaf Sholz or Pedro Sanchez who came on pilgrimage to Beijing before him, Emmanuel Macron like Ursula von der Leyen failed to obtain any further commitment from Beijing to bring back ” Russia to reason “, in the words of the French head of state.
Alicia Herrero, Chief Asia-Pacific Economist at Natixis, who just wrote a article on the subject in Asian Timescomments: It is a pilgrimage doomed to failure, because the reason that Europeans give to justify their trip is Ukraine! However, everyone knows that China has no desire to change its position. And by going to Beijing, the only thing we can get is for China to tell us: “If you want that, you have to give me that.“ »
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It’s give and take, say the Chinese. Either you ratify the investment treaty that the European Parliament does not want, or you confirm China’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
In the new Franco-Chinese joint declaration, published this Friday evening, in paragraph 6, ” France reaffirms its commitment to the one-China policy ”, and contrary to the President of the European Commission, Emmanuel Macron did not wish to raise the question of Taiwan during his visit, while tensions between Americans and Chinese in the Pacific have risen again a notch – China has deployed three warships and a submarine-killing helicopter near the island on Thursday in retaliation for the Taiwanese president’s visit to the United States.
Optimists note, however, for their part, that for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Chinese president has accompanied one of his foreign guests to the provinces and that he agrees to sign a joint declaration with him mentioning Ukraine.
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For Paris, the results of Macron’s visit remain positive
With our special correspondent in Beijing, Julien Chavanne
Tea and dinner with Xi Jinping on the chic Shamian Island in Guangzhou, before crossing the Pearl River by boat. Emmanuel Macron offered himself a nice postcard, then took the plane again, after two and a half days of a state visit.
His three hours spent face-to-face with the Chinese leader did not change the situation. The positions remain fixed, since Beijing does not condemn the Russian intervention in Ukraine, refuses to play the mediator with Moscow, and does not formally undertake not to deliver arms.
On the positive side, however, according to the Élysée: the two countries want to create the conditions for de-escalation, even if in detail, the entourage of the French president is struggling to be more precise. The only real breakthrough: they agree to meet again. Emmanuel Macron will be back in China next year, and Xi Jinping will come to France.