EU chief to join Emmanuel Macron on visit to China

The French president is set to travel to China early next month for talks with President Xi Jinping as Western leaders urge Beijing to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine
Macron said after an EU summit in Brussels that he had asked von der Leyen to come with him for part of the trip to present a ‘united voice’ to China

Ukraine war

Agence France-Presse

Published: 12:32am, 25 Mar 2023

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French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen would accompany him on an upcoming visit to China.

Macron is set to travel to China early next month for talks with President Xi Jinping, as Western leaders are urging Beijing to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Macron said after a summit of EU leaders in Brussels that he had asked von der Leyen to come with him for part of the trip to present a “united voice” to China.

Macron has called on Beijing to help convince Moscow to end its year-long invasion of Ukraine.

China calls for ‘strategic consensus’ with EU on Ukraine ceasefire, peace talks

China has sought to position itself as a neutral party on the conflict, even as it has burnished it ties with Russia.

It published a 12-point position paper in February calling for urgent peace talks and a “political settlement” to end the conflict.

Macron has said China’s efforts are positive but insisted peace can only be achieved if Russia withdraws its troops.