French leader Emmanuel Macron has urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to help stop Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses, and bring everyone back to the negotiating table,” he told Mr Xi in Beijing.
Mr Xi said China and France had the “ability and responsibility” to safeguard world peace.
But Moscow said there were “no prospects for a peaceful settlement” so far and its offensive would continue.
Mr Macron is on a state visit to China that is being highly scrutinised after years of deteriorating relations between the West and China, which has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Macron is also seeking to bolster trade ties. He is joined by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who he invited to take part in talks with the Chinese leadership, as well as a large business delegation.
On Thursday afternoon, Mr Macron was treated to an elaborate military parade in Beijing, before entering closed-door talks with Mr Xi, which Chinese and French officials described as “frank” and “friendly”.
Speaking to the press afterwards, Mr Xi said “China advocates for peace talks and seeks a political solution”, and called for “rational restraint” from the international community.
He also reiterated that nuclear weapons should not be used in the conflict. Russia said earlier this week it planned to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, near the ally’s western border with Nato countries.
Mr Macron said “we can’t have a safe and stable Europe” as long as Ukraine remained occupied, and that it was “unacceptable” that a member of the UN Security Council had violated the organisation’s charter.
The French leader struck a cordial tone in his speech, often turning to Mr Xi during the press conference and addressing him directly. It stood in contrast to Mr Xi’s impassive delivery to the press.
In a separate press conference later, Ms von der Leyen stressed that if China provided arms to Russia, it would be against international law and “significantly harm” the relationship between the EU and China.
She also said she expected Beijing to play a role that “promotes a just peace”, and that she stood “firmly” behind Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace plan – which calls for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops. (BBC)