BEIJING (AP) – French President Emmanuel Macron appealed on Thursday to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who received an effusive welcome from Vladimir Putin in Moscow last month, to “bring Russia to its senses” and help make “lasting peace” in Ukraine.
Macron pointed to Chinese support for the United Nations Charter, which calls for respect of a country’s territorial integrity, and for nuclear agreements. He said peace and stability based on those were threatened by the Russian president’s invasion of Ukraine.
Xi’s government declared it had a “no limits friendship” with Russia ahead of the February 2022 attack but has tried to appear neutral. Beijing has called for peace talks.
“I know I can count on you, under the two principles I just mentioned, to bring Russia to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table,” Macron told Xi.
“We need to find a lasting peace,” Macron said. “I believe that this is also an important issue for China, as much as it is for France and for Europe.”
Xi didn’t mention Ukraine or Russia but said he welcomed relations with France. He said Beijing and Paris are “staunch promoters of multipolarization of the world,” a reference to reducing U.S. dominance in economic and political affairs.