France’s President Went To China To Meet With Xi Jinping And Push Him To Help With A Ceasefire In Ukraine
On Thursday, Dec. 4, Macron sat down with Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, where he urged China to help pressuring Russia toward a ceasefire.
French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss cooperation on a range of global issues, including economic ties, trade relations and the war in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Dec. 4, Macron sat down with Xi at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, where he urged China to help pressuring Russia toward a ceasefire, after the US put forward a renewed proposal for Ukraine peace talks.
Xi did not respond directly to Macron’s call, saying instead that China “supports all efforts that work towards peace” and stressing that any agreement must be acceptable to all parties.
China has maintained diplomatic support for Russia throughout the war and increased trade with Moscow, softening the impact of Western sanctions.
Macron also pushed for steps to reduce France’s massive trade deficit with China, which reached €46 billion (US$54 billion) in 2024.
“The imbalances we see accumulating today are not sustainable, they carry the risk of triggering a financial crisis and threaten our ability to grow together," Macron said, calling for “fairer and stronger” trade rules for European companies.
China, for its part, wants to reduce trade friction with the EU, especially over its subsidised electric-vehicle industry.
The meeting is part of Macron’s three-day trip to China, his fourth while in office.
However, no major business deals were signed, with only 12 cooperation agreements finalized, focusing on areas such as population aging, nuclear energy and panda conservation.
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