French President Emmanuel Macron who is on a two day visit to China met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing today and urged to cooperate more closely on geopolitics, trade and environment.
The EU seeks China’s help to end the war in Ukraine while Beijing looks for diplomatic wins amid US tariffs.
A large business delegation is accompanying Macron on his fourth state visit to the world’s second-largest economy, as he seeks to bolster his foreign policy credentials and secure commercial deals for French industry in a bid to revitalise his political legacy in the final years of his term after a tumultuous summer, and ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
China, for its part, wants to ease trade frictions with the 27-strong EU over its heavily subsidised electric vehicle sector, while presenting itself as a reliable trading partner and an alternative market to the US as global economies face recession risks resulting from President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
“Sometimes there are differences, but it is our responsibility to overcome them for the greater good,” Macron told Xi. “Our capacity to work together is decisive,” he said, making a direct reference to Ukraine.
Reporting from Beijing, Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu said it was unclear whether any agreement was made. “Macron and other EU leaders have accused China of providing crucial economic support for Russia’s war effort and providing military components for its defence industry, something that Beijing has denied,” she said. China has never condemned Russia for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.