Paris Games: France’s Macron calls on China to help with 3-week ‘Olympic truce’ as Russia, Israel divide world opinion
- President Emmanuel Macron cites ancient Greek tradition as he urges China to join his push for a ‘moment of diplomatic peace’ during Olympics
- Analysts say China has long called for a ceasefire anyway, whereas any demand that it explicitly condemn Russia is likely to fail
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on China to help engineer a three-week “Olympic truce” across global conflicts, as questions swirl over the Paris Games’ ban on Russia but not Israel.
Analysts pointed out that Macron’s request, apart from the Olympics angle, was not much different from China’s long-standing calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine, while any demand that it explicitly condemn Russia were likely to fail.
Speaking to French media on Monday, Macron cited the ancient Greek tradition that allowed for the safe passage of athletes to and from the Olympics. “We want to work towards the Olympic truce and I think that this is an opportunity on which I will try to involve many of our partners,” he said.
His comments came two weeks after French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Paris expected Beijing to “send very clear messages” to Moscow over the Ukraine war, reiterating Europe’s persistent requests for China to rein in its powerful neighbour.
What Sejourne meant by “clear messages” was “explicit condemnation of Russia’s military activities along the lines of Western rhetoric”, according to Moscow-based analyst Andrew Korybko.
“China has already expressed its stance towards the conflict on many occasions and continued to remain consistent in spite of Western pressure, so nothing is expected to change from its side,” the Moscow State Institute of International Relations-educated commentator said.
