US and France asked for China involvement to stop the Ukraine conflict
Bilateral meeting between president Biden and president Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart Joe Biden signaled, in a telephone conversation on Tuesday, their desire for China to “accelerate” the search for a solution to the war in Ukraine, French diplomatic sources said. The discussion between the two heads of state took place a few hours before the departure of Emmanuel Macron for a three-day state visit to China, first to Beijing and then to Guangzhou. This conversation showed “the common will of France and the United States to engage the Chinese to accelerate, together with us, the end of the war in Ukraine and build a lasting peace”, according to the quoted source. During this discussion, the American and French presidents also wanted to “obtain from the Chinese a contribution to the global effort of North-South solidarity” and “build together with China a common agenda on climate and biodiversity”. During this state visit to China, from April 5-7, Emmanuel Macron will discuss with his counterpart, Xi Jinping, who, due to his proximity to Russian President Vladimir Putin, seems to be a decisive factor in the efforts to find a solution to the war in Ukraine. France, like China, is a nuclear power, but the country does not take part in NATO nuclear exercises. Both also oppose the sharing of nuclear technology, said Bondaz, which means France is in a “legitimate” position to “ask China for an official reaction to Russia’s announcement of its intention to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus and to try to prevent such a deployment.
“Whether Macron can achieve these goals will depend on whether China fears further sanctions from the EU and the risk of deepening “transatlantic coordination” between Europe and the US on issues like Ukraine, he added. Some analysts believe Xi could try to drive a wedge between the US and Europe, the latter of which has traditionally adopted a less hawkish approach to bilateral relations. Despite being a founding member of NATO, France is not part of US-led security blocs like AUKUS—made up of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US—and the QUAD—featuring Australia, India, Japan, and the US—both of which are widely seen as aimed at countering China. Still, EU-China relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years. Apart from disputes over China’s claims in the South China Sea and crackdowns in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, Beijing’s attempts to punish EU member states like Lithuania for engaging with Taiwan and tit-for-tat sanctions on European parliamentarians have not gone over well. In 2021, the 27-country bloc put a significant trade and investment deal with China on ice amid growing tensions between the sides. Macron and von der Leyen’s trip could be a first step towards improving those ties, said Ferenczy, the associate research fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy. “Bilateral ties have been deteriorating, and I think there’s also an effort from Beijing to rebuild relations,” Ferenczy said, adding that EU leaders understand they have “actual leverage over China and that we need to speak more from that position”.
“China wants to continue cooperation and business, trade relations with the EU.”
By Paul Bumman
