Macron to warn China against backing Russia; Spain urges Xi to hold Zelensky talks

Macron to warn China against backing Russia; Spain urges Xi to hold Zelensky talks
by AFP Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) March 31, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron will next week warn Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that backing Russia militarily in its war on Ukraine would be disastrous, the French leader's office said.

"If China took this disastrous decision, it would have a major strategic effect on the conflict," an advisor to Macron, asking not to be named, told reporters ahead of the president's visit to China next week.

"We want to avoid the worst and that is why we need to engage with them (the Chinese) and present our position," said the official, adding that France wanted to identify "a medium-term path for an end to the conflict".

This dialogue was all the more crucial since "China is the only country in the world capable of having an immediate and radical impact on the conflict, in one direction or the other", added the official.

China has never publicly backed the invasion by Russia of Ukraine but has also never offered any criticism of Moscow.

Western powers fear Moscow is keen to encourage Chinese military cooperation to gain the upper hand in the conflict, although China has not made any such public offer to Moscow.

Macron's visit to China, starting on Wednesday alongside European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, comes after Xi held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow earlier this month.

The French official described China as a "game-changer" in the conflict.

Spain PM urges Xi to hold talks with Ukraine's Zelensky
Beijing (AFP) March 31, 2023 - Spain's prime minister said Friday he had urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart, as he visits China's capital for talks aimed at boosting ties between Beijing and Madrid.

Speaking at a press conference at the Spanish embassy in Beijing, Pedro Sanchez said he had discussed "China's position" on Russia's war in Ukraine in meetings with Xi and other top Chinese officials.

He also accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of seeking to "weaken" the EU's "multilateral project for peace and welfare".

"I encouraged President Xi to have a conversation with (Ukrainian) President Zelensky to learn first-hand about this peace plan of the Ukrainian government," Sanchez said.

Zelensky has said repeatedly he would be open to talks with Xi -- an overture the Chinese leader has yet to respond to, despite multiple rounds of talks with Putin.

Beijing last month unveiled a 12-point paper calling for a "political settlement" of the crisis in Ukraine.

The document was immediately met with scepticism from Ukraine's allies, though it was welcomed by Kyiv.

Sanchez on Friday also welcomed Beijing's stance opposing the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict -- as well as its stated support for "territorial integrity".

"I want to acknowledge the effort that the Chinese government has made to position itself," he said.