French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Guangzhou in southern China today to meet students on Friday, taking with him a broad delegation of top politicians, business leaders and even celebrities, including composer Jean-Michel Jarre.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold informal talks in Guangzhou on Friday afternoon, Chinese state media reported.
On Thursday Macron called on his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping Thursday to “bring Russia to its senses” over Ukraine and urged him not to deliver weapons to Moscow.
The French president, who arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, has made clear he is seeking to dissuade China from supporting Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.
“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.
In remarks to the press after their meeting, Xi said he “stood ready to issue a joint call with France” for the resumption of “peace talks as soon as possible”, according to Chinese state media Xinhua.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who is accompanying Macron on his visit, welcomed Xi’s openness to speaking with Zelensky.
She said that in her own meeting Thursday with Chinese leaders, she warned that arms shipments to Russia would “significantly harm” relations.
“As a member of the UN security council, there is a big responsibility and we expect that China will play its role and promote a just peace, one that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, one of the cornerstones of the UN charter,” Von der Leyen said.
