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Macron Wraps Up China Visit, but Little Progress Seen on War

Russia’s war in Ukraine figured little in statements after meetings between President Emmanuel Macron of France and China’s leader, Xi Jinping.

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By Keith Bradsher and David Pierson

Keith Bradsher reported from Shanghai, and David Pierson from Singapore.

President Emmanuel Macron of France concluded a three-day visit to China on Friday, with the two countries having discussed everything from the study of lunar samples to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

But their joint statement on the talks said little about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite Mr. Macron’s efforts to persuade China’s leader, Xi Jinping, to do more to help end the war.

Mr. Xi’s meetings with Mr. Macron, which included a private dinner and a rare meeting outside Beijing, are part of China’s efforts to strengthen its ties with Europe as its relations deteriorate sharply with the United States.

To the frustration of European and American leaders, China has not condemned Russia’s invasion and has instead preserved its close ties to Moscow, where Mr. Xi was welcomed warmly on a trip last month. The joint statement released on Friday avoided mention of Russia in several places, suggesting that China had not changed its stance on the war.

The Sino-French statement reiterated both countries’ opposition to nuclear war, for instance, but did so without mentioning Russia or its recent threat to put nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Similarly, China and France said they were opposed to attacks on nuclear power plants and called for “ensuring the safety and security” of one Ukrainian plant, in Zaporizhzhia. But the statement did not address Russia's military occupation of that plant, where nearby fighting has raised international fears of a possible disaster.

The sole direct mention of Ukraine in the 51-point statement had few specifics: “Both parties support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law and the purposes and principles of the charter of the United Nations.”

France and China also called on the parties “to protect women and children, victims of the conflict, and to increase humanitarian aid to conflict zones, and to provide safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid in accordance with international commitments.”

But the statement made no mention of Ukrainian and Western allegations that Russia has abducted thousands of Ukrainian children . Nor did it mention that the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants last month for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova , in connection with the children.

The simultaneous release of the statement came after an unusual effort by Mr. Xi to build ties with France. He and other Chinese leaders held a long series of meetings with Mr. Macron on Wednesday and Thursday, and the presidents then traveled on Friday to Guangzhou, the commercial hub of southeastern China, for a private dinner there.

Mr. Macron visited Sun Yat-sen University earlier in the day in Guangzhou, where he was met by more than 100 students. Some tried to pose for photos with the French president — a contrast with the more staid, tightly controlled public appearances typical of Chinese leaders.

China is hoping to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States by courting European leaders like Mr. Macron, who favors greater autonomy from American foreign policy. Beijing’s fear is that Europe could put trade and investment restrictions on China like those imposed by the United States, which is far more suspicious of Beijing’s intentions.

“Beijing hopes that Macron may be able to play a role in stabilizing E.U.-China relations,” said Li Mingjiang, an associate professor of international relations at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “This is a very important diplomatic goal for China in the context of worsening relations with the United States and Washington’s efforts in rallying its allies and partners against China.”

Mr. Macron, in turn, came to China seeking to persuade Mr. Xi on the war. But Mr. Xi at least publicly maintained his delicate balance of the past year: tilting toward Russia in the conflict while seeking to lure European investors to China and to split Europe politically from the United States.

The French president’s charm offensive appeared to have limits. Mr. Xi gave no indication that he would be willing to answer Mr. Macron’s call on Thursday to “bring Russia back to reason and everyone back to the negotiating table.”

Instead, Mr. Xi said he was ready only to issue a call for a political settlement in Ukraine that accommodated “the legitimate security concerns of all parties” — language that would have echoed Beijing and Moscow’s claim that the expansion of NATO into Eastern Europe had caused the war.

Mr. Xi also said he was willing to speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine when “conditions and time are right,” according to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, who accompanied Mr. Macron to Beijing.

Ms. von der Leyen, who ended her visit on Thursday, received a cooler reception than Mr. Macron because of her more hawkish views on China, highlighted in a speech she gave last week warning that Beijing was trying to build an alternative world order that would put security ahead of human rights.

In an apparent rebuke, the Chinese leader told Ms. von der Leyen that the European Union should “avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment,” according to a Chinese readout of the two leaders’ meeting.

Keith Bradsher is the Beijing bureau chief for The Times. He previously served as bureau chief in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Detroit and as a Washington correspondent. He has lived and reported in mainland China through the pandemic. More about Keith Bradsher

David Pierson covers Chinese foreign policy and China’s economic and cultural engagement with the world. More about David Pierson

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Watch as French president Emmanuel Macron arrives in China for state visit

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Watch as Emmanuel Macron arrives at Beijing airport for a state visit to China .

The French president touches down on Wednesday 5 April alongside European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen for a three-day trip that will see them meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping .

Discussions about Russia ’s war in Ukraine are expected to be high on the agenda.

“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,” an official from Mr Macron’s office said ahead of the visit.

Beijing claims to hold a neutral stance on the war, but has previously stressed its “no-limits friendship” with Russia.

Mr Xi last month met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow and a top French official acknowledged that Paris isn’t expecting to see a major shift in China’s position.

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Macron puts trade and Ukraine as top priorities as China’s Xi opens European visit in France

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday that focused on trade disputes — including lifting immediate tariff threats on Cognac exports — and Ukraine-related diplomatic efforts.

Xi was in France for a two-day state visit to open his European tour.

Speaking alongside Xi after their meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, Macron said that France hopes China’s influence on Moscow would help to move Russia toward ending the war in Ukraine.

“We welcome the Chinese authorities’ commitments to refrain from selling any weapons or aid” and to “strictly control” sales of products and technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, Macron said.

China claims neutrality in the war.

“History has repeatedly proven that any conflict can ultimately be resolved only through negotiation,” Xi said. “We call on all parties to restart contact and dialogue.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced plans to visit China this month.

Last year, Macron appealed to Xi to “bring Russia to its senses,” but the call wasn’t followed by any apparent action by Beijing.

Both leaders also expressed their concerns regarding the situation in the Middle East, where Macron said France and China share the “same goals,” that is “to achieve an immediate cease-fire to release hostages, protect the populations, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, encourage a regional deescalation and reopen a political perspective.”

Xi called the Israel-Hamas war a “tragedy” that is “a test of human conscience.”

“The international community must do something. We call for an immediate, comprehensive and sustainable cease-fire in Gaza,” he said.

In addition, Xi expressed China’s willingness to work with France “to take the Paris Olympics as an opportunity to advocate a global cease-fire and cessation of war during the Games.”

Macron advocates for making the Paris Games “a diplomatic moment of peace” and respect the Olympic Truce.

Trade issues also were at the top of the agenda as Macron denounced the trade practices of China as shoring up protections and subsidies.

Macron thanked Xi for his “openness about the provisional measures toward French Cognac.” The remark came after China opened an anti-dumping investigation into Cognac and other European brandy earlier this year.

A French top diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks, said that Xi agreed not to apply tariffs in the short-term pending further investigation.

French gifts to the Chinese president on Monday included luxury bottles of Cognac. Xi reciprocated with Chinese-language editions of “Madame Bovary” and other classic French novels.

France hopes to be able to continue to export its products, including brandy and cosmetics, to the Chinese market.

Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined both leaders for a meeting meant to address broader European Union concerns.

The EU launched an investigation last year into Chinese subsidies and could impose tariffs on electric vehicles exported from China. The 27-member bloc last month opened another inquiry into Chinese wind turbine makers.

“For trade to be fair, access to both markets needs to be reciprocal,” von der Leyen said after the meeting. “Our market is and remains open to fair competition and to investments, but it is not good for Europe if it harms our security and makes us vulnerable.”

She said that Europe “will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and its security.”

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The discussions were expected to be closely watched from Washington, a month before U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to pay his own state visit to France.

Xi’s European trip, the first in five years, seeks to rebuild relations at a time of global tensions. After France, he will head to Serbia and Hungary.

Xi’s visit marks the 60th anniversary of France-China diplomatic relations, and follows Macron’s trip to China in April 2023. Macron prompted controversy on that trip when he said that France wouldn’t blindly follow the U.S. in getting involved in crises that aren’t its concern, apparently referring to China’s demands for unification with Taiwan.

Several groups — including International Campaign for Tibet and France’s Human Rights League — urged Macron to put human rights issues at the heart of his talks with Xi. Protesters demonstrated in Paris as Xi arrived on Sunday, calling for a free Tibet.

Amnesty International called on Macron to demand the release of Uyghur economics professor Ilham Tohti, who was jailed in China for life in 2014 on charges of promoting separatism, and other imprisoned activists.

On Monday, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders staged a protest in front of the Arc de Triomphe monument to denounce Xi’s visit, calling the Chinese president “one of the greatest predators of press freedom.” The group says 119 journalists are imprisoned in the country.

Macron said in an interview published Sunday that he would raise human rights concerns. He didn’t mention the issue in his public comments Monday.

The second day of the visit is meant to be more personal. Macron has invited Xi to visit the Tourmalet Pass in the Pyrenees mountains, where the French leader spent time as a child to see his grandmother. The trip is meant to be a reciprocal gesture after Xi took Macron last year to the residence of the governor of Guangdong province, where his father once lived.

Barbara Surk in Nice, Angela Charlton in Paris and Fu Ting in Washington contributed to this story.

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5 key moments from French President Macron's visit to China

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - French President Emmanuel Macron will wrap up his first official visit to China on Wednesday (Jan 10) with a clearer idea of the challenge he faces in wielding Europe's economic power on the global stage.

Macron's calls for a "rebalancing" of Europe's economic relationship with China won few concessions from President Xi Jinping and a meagre return for the business leaders in his delegation.

Here are five key elements of the diplomatic manoeuvres:

COURTING THE DRAGON

Macron pulled out all the stops to warm up the Chinese. He praised their culture, their history, and listened to a long explanation of meaning of their national symbol, the dragon, on a visit to the Forbidden City. He even quoted the Yuan dynasty poet, Wang Mian, whom Xi had referenced in his speech to the Communist Party last year.

Xi talked up the "deep historical significance" of the relationship between France and China and paid tribute to General Charles de Gaulle, who founded the Fifth Republic in France and restored diplomatic ties with China in 1964.

France is already hosting a female panda and her cub at a zoo near Paris. Macron brought Xi a horse from the French Republican guard.

DIFFICULT ISSUES

Macron arrived in Beijing as the spokesman for a European Union that is increasingly uncomfortable with its trade relationship with China.

The president's buzzword throughout the trip was "reciprocity."

The ancient Silk Road wasn't just about China, he pointed out, it was about Europe too. When he went into the detail, it sounded trickier: more market access for EU firms, shared standards, and more Chinese investment in France - but only the right sort.

FRANK WORDS

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire was more candid about French concerns. On the sidelines of a lunch with French chefs working in Beijing, Le Maire told reporters he was determined that investors from China, or elsewhere, wouldn't pick off technology from France or the EU without boosting the local economy.

"There are looters in every country," Le Maire said. "All of them need to understand that Europe has the means to protect itself."

FEW BUSINESS DEALS

Macron's team warned before departure that this trip would yield little in commercial terms. And they were right.

Despite bringing an entourage of more than 50 business leaders, the visit produced just a handful of confirmed business.

Safran will provide jet engines to a clutch of Chinese airlines and Electricite de France signed two energy-services contracts. But the biggest prospective deals, for Areva and Airbus, remained just statements of intent. Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma said he's considering building a logistics centre in France.

"Rather than figures, I prefer a follow-up," Macron told reporters.

RIVALRY WITH THE US

Europe's competition with the US for Chinese favour was an undercurrent to the talks.

"When the wind of change is coming, some build walls, while others build wind mills," Macron told a group of business leaders including Ma, deploying a traditional Chinese proverb. "I want to build wind mills."

The reference managed to skewer US President Donald Trump's much-vaunted plans for a wall on the Mexican border as well as his decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement. But Xi's response was non-committal.

"China supports a bigger role for France in promoting European integration," he said. "We welcome France making contributions to the development of relations between China and Europe."

While Trump left Beijing in November brandishing US$250 billion (S$332 billion) worth of deals, Macron won no such prize. Chinese officials asked the team from Paris not to give a figure for the value of the business concluded, according to a senior French official.

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France’s Macron visits China seeking breakthrough in Ukraine war

French president is expected to push Chinese counterpart Xi not to side with Russia while shoring up economic ties.

Taipei, Taiwan – French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are set to arrive in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit that will see them meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Macron will be accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 CEOs and meet with the French business community, but all eyes will be on how he and von der Leyen discuss the war in Ukraine with the Chinese leadership.

“The primary issue that Macron and von der Leyen will probably want to push on is to help get some support from China in dealing with Russia and to help advance on that front,” Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an associate research fellow at Sweden’s Institute for Security and Development Policy, told Al Jazeera.

“Realistically, I don’t think we can expect much, but I think clearly everyone agrees that that’s the priority.”

China is officially neutral on the war but has propped up Russia economically and diplomatically in the face of Western sanctions. Xi also has the ear of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he shares a close friendship spanning more than a decade. In March, the duo signed a Sino-Russian strategic partnership during Xi’s state visit to Moscow.

At the G20 summit in November, Macron called for China to play a “greater mediation role” in the war but Beijing has yet to advance its role beyond issuing a 12-point peace plan that has received a lukewarm response in Kyiv and Western capitals.

Macron’s trip is his first to China since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in early 2020, when Beijing effectively shut its borders to travel. The French leader last visited the country in 2019.

His trip follows one made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November but it has already taken a different tone.

Scholz’s trip was widely criticised in Europe as too conciliatory towards Beijing, with the German leader’s efforts to shore up the country’s business interests taking precedence over pushing China to join the negotiating table over Ukraine.

This time, however, Xi can expect pushback.

Macron and United States President Joe Biden agreed in a telephone call ahead of the French leader’s trip to engage China to hasten the end of the war in Ukraine, the Elysee Palace said on Wednesday.

“The two leaders have mentioned their joint willingness to engage China to accelerate the end of the war in Ukraine and take part in building sustainable peace in the region,” Macron’s office said in a statement.

During a speech in Brussels last week, von der Leyen publicly criticised Beijing’s “no limits” ties with Moscow in the face of an “atrocious and illegal invasion of Ukraine”.

“Any peace plan which would in effect consolidate Russian annexations is simply not a viable plan. We have to be frank on this point,” von der Leyen said, while also taking aim at China’s increasingly assertive posture on the South China Sea, the Chinese-Indian border and Taiwan.

“How China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward,” she said.

Beijing said it was “disappointed” by her speech, according to its European Union ambassador Fu Cong.

Against such a tense backdrop, Macron is expected to ask China to not supply Russia with weapons. Beijing is not known to have supplied weaponry to Russia despite requests from Moscow, although US officials have warned of the possibility.

Macron’s trip is not likely to produce a watershed moment but his diplomacy could produce wins down the road for European security, said Matthieu Duchâtel, the director of international studies at France’s Institut Montaigne.

“It’s really about moving it a little bit in a positive direction and not bearing the unrealistic expectation that China can mediate,” Duchâtel told Al Jazeera, describing the European view of China as being a “swing state” in the Ukraine war.

If China were to supply Russia with weapons, it could tip the scales in Moscow’s favour as the war drags on, Duchâtel said, while the opposite would be true if Beijing were to lean towards Ukraine.

Macron will need to play a careful game, said Antoine Bondaz, a researcher at the French think tank, La Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique. A poorly worded statement could unintentionally signal support for Beijing’s position and score a win for the Chinese Communist Party, he said, instead of impressing on China the dangers the war poses to European security.

One point of cooperation, however, could be the issue of nuclear weapons, Bondaz added.

France, like China, is a nuclear power but the country does not take part in NATO nuclear exercises. Both also oppose the sharing of nuclear technology, said Bondaz, which means France is in a “legitimate” position to “ask China for an official reaction to Russia’s announcement of its intention to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, and to try to prevent such a deployment.”

Whether Macron can achieve these goals will depend on whether China fears further sanctions from the EU and the risk of deepening “transatlantic coordination” between Europe and the US on issues like Ukraine, he added.

Some analysts believe Xi could try to drive a wedge between the US and Europe, the latter of which has traditionally adopted a less hawkish approach to bilateral relations.

Despite being a founding member of NATO, France is not part of US-led security blocks like AUKUS – made up of Australia, the United Kingdom and the US – and the QUAD – featuring Australia, India, Japan and the US – both of which are widely seen as aimed at countering China.

Still, EU-China relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years.

Apart from disputes over China’s claims in the South China Sea and crackdowns in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, Beijing’s attempts to punish EU member states like Lithuania for engaging with Taiwan and tit-for-tat sanctions on European parliamentarians have not gone over well. In 2021, the 27-country bloc put a significant trade and investment deal with China on ice amid growing tensions between the sides.

Macron and von der Leyen’s trip could be a first step towards improving those ties, said Ferenczy, the associate research fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy.

“Bilateral ties have been deteriorating, and I think there’s also an effort from Beijing to rebuild relations,” Ferenczy said, adding that EU leaders understand they have “actual leverage over China and that we need to speak more from that position”.

“China wants to continue cooperation and business, trade relations with the EU.”

On the afternoon of 6 April, President Xi Jinping held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron who is on a state visit to China at the Great Hall of the People. 

President Xi welcomed President Macron’s visit to China. He noted the profound historic transformation taking place in the world, and pointed out that China and France, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, major countries with a tradition of independence, and firm advocates for a multi-polar world and for greater democracy in international relations, have the ability and responsibility to rise above differences and obstacles, keep to the overall direction of a comprehensive strategic partnership that is stable, mutually beneficial, enterprising and dynamic, and practice true multilateralism for global peace, stability and prosperity.

President Xi spoke favorably of the momentum of positive and steady growth in the China-France relationship. He stressed that stability, a defining feature and valued asset of this relationship, should be cherished by both sides. The two sides need to make good use of their all-round, high-level communication channels, maintain close communication between the two presidents, and hold a new round of meetings this year for the three high-level dialogue mechanisms, namely the strategic dialogue, the economic and financial dialogue, and the dialogue on people-to-people exchanges. The two sides should respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect each other’s core interests, and properly handle and manage differences. They need to stay committed to mutual benefit and common development. China’s pursuit of high-quality development and high-standard opening up will bring France even broader market opportunities. China will work with France to deepen cooperation in such fields as agrifood, space, aviation, and civil nuclear energy, foster new cooperation areas including trade in services, green development, and innovation in science and technology, and support the joint development of a carbon neutrality center and joint cultivation of talents. China welcomes France as the guest country of honor at the China International Fair for Trade in Services 2024 and the seventh China International Import Expo. China hopes that France will provide Chinese businesses with a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment. Taking the opportunities brought by the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, and the Paris Olympics next year, China will step up cooperation with France in relevant fields.

 President Xi stressed China’s readiness to continue to act in the spirit of openness and work with France to maintain close communication and coordination in multilateral mechanisms such as the UN, the G20 and the WTO, practice true multilateralism, and counter global challenges like climate change and energy issues. China supports France in hosting the UN Ocean Conference 2025, and welcomes France’s participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. 

President Xi stressed that China and Europe are two major forces, big markets, and great civilizations in the world. China-Europe relations bear on the wellbeing of both sides and the stability and prosperity of the world at large. China will keep its Europe policy stable in the long run, continue to see Europe as an independent force in a multi-polar world, and stay committed to a China-Europe relationship that is not targeted at, subjugated to, or controlled by any third party. China will work with the EU and take this year’s 20th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership as an opportunity to resume exchanges and dialogues on all fronts, reinforce friendship and cooperation as the keynote of China-EU relations, explore a supply chain partnership featuring stability and mutual trust, and deliver benefits to both sides. China hopes that France will play an active, leading role in this regard. 

President Macron recalled his last visit to China more than three years ago and expressed his delight at visiting China again to explore with President Xi ways to further elevate the France-China comprehensive strategic partnership. He fully agreed with President Xi’s positive assessment of France-China relations and important suggestions on growing the bilateral ties. Next year, France and China will celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Over the past six decades, France-China relations have maintained steady and sound growth. Despite their different development models, the two countries have respected each other, communicated with candor, and achieved mutual benefits in their wide-ranging cooperation. Meanwhile, the two sides have made important progress in jointly meeting global challenges facing the world. France respects and follows the one-China policy. President Macron pointed out that he’s taking a large delegation to China to seek closer cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. France congratulates China on the success of the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Conference (COP15) and wants to continue close communication and cooperation with China on issues like climate change and food security. France is ready to work with China on the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that China will host. France commends China for its abiding commitment to the purposes of the UN Charter and its positive role in addressing regional and international hotspot issues, and looks forward to closer communication and coordination with China for durable peace and stability in the world.

President Macron noted that France is committed to an independent foreign policy and to the strategic autonomy of Europe, and opposed to stoking confrontation, division and bloc rivalry. France will not pick sides. Instead, France calls for unity and cooperation to keep relations stable between major countries. It will maintain candid and in-depth communication with China to increase mutual trust, seek common ground while reserving differences, and pursue open cooperation. France will actively contribute to the growth of EU-China relations. 

The two presidents also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. President Xi emphasized that China’s position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear. It is essentially about facilitating peace talks and political settlement. There is no panacea for defusing the crisis. It requires all parties to do their share and create conditions for ceasefire and peace talks through a buildup of trust. China supports Europe in playing its role in the political settlement of the crisis. China stands ready to issue a joint call with France for the international community to stay rational, exercise restraint, and avoid taking actions that might cause the crisis to further deteriorate or even spiral out of control; to strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities, and protect women, children and other victims of the conflict; to earnestly honor the pledge that nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought, oppose the use of biological weapons under any circumstances, and oppose armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other civilian nuclear facilities; to resume peace talks as soon as possible, observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all parties, seek political settlement, and foster a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture; and to jointly address the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis in food, energy, finance, transportation and other fields, and reduce the negative impact of the Ukraine crisis on the world, especially on developing countries. China is ready to stay in touch with France and play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis. 

President Macron shared France’s view on the issue, and commended China’s important role in the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. France calls for the resumption of political negotiations and a settlement of the crisis through diplomatic means to achieve lasting peace in Europe. France hopes to increase communication and make joint efforts with China toward peace. 

At the end of their talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents covering agrifood, science and technology, aviation, civil nuclear energy, sustainable development, and culture. 

The two presidents also jointly met the Chinese and foreign press.

Prior to the talks, President Xi held a welcoming ceremony for President Macron at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People. 

Upon President Macron’s arrival, honor guards lined up in salutation. The two presidents stepped onto a reviewing stand, and the military band played the national anthems of the two countries. A 21-gun salute was fired from Tian’anmen Square. Accompanied by President Xi, President Macron then reviewed the guard of honor of the People’s Liberation Army and watched the march-past. 

Wang Yi and Qin Gang were present at the events.

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Why French president Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China is significant

Emmanuel Macron, who last year drew fire from Western allies for a call not to ‘humiliate’ Russia in the backdrop of its war with Ukraine, faces a delicate balancing act. Beijing, which claims to hold a neutral stance on the conflict, has stressed its ‘no-limits friendship’ with Russia

France’s Emmanuel Macron is heading to China.

The French president, who last year drew fire from Western allies for a call not to ‘humiliate’ Russia in the backdrop of its war with Ukraine, faces a delicate balancing act in Beijing.

Let’s take a closer look at what we can expect from Macron’s visit:

Macron is slated to kick off his visit on Wednesday with a speech to the French community.

On Thursday, Macron will meet with the head of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji, and China’s new No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang , in addition to a meeting and a state dinner with Xi Jinping in the presence of von der Leyen.

As per Politico, Macron and Xi are likely to hold talks for several hours.

An adviser to Macron, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet, “You can count with one hand the number of world leaders who could have an in-depth discussion with Xi.”

Macron is also expected to warn China against sending weapons to Russia and instead ask that the country use its influence to support peace efforts.

“We aren’t going to threaten, but send some warnings: The Chinese need to understand that [sending weapons> would have consequences for Europe, for us … We need to remind them of our security interests,” a senior French official told Politico.

Antoine Bondaz, a senior lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, told Euronews , “President Macron, of course, has the legitimacy to ask and raise the issue with China for two reasons. First, France is, of course, a nuclear weapon state. And second, France, unlike the US and the UK, is not part of any nuclear sharing agreement as these two countries are.”

“The French president must be and should be very aware of the limited leverage he has over Xi Jinping. France, compared to China, is a lightweight today, even though France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The relationship is very asymmetric and there is little that Macron can convince Xi Jinping of. It’s good to try. It’s good, of course, to leave channels of communication open, but we need to be very realistic in our expectations and to keep very limited expectations.”

“(The EU) wants to underline the message (to China) to not support Russia any more than is already being done, otherwise the bilateral relationship is doomed,” an EU official speaking anonymously told who was not cleared to speak to the media told RFE/RL . “History will show if all this traveling [to China> is a good thing or not.”

“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,” an official from Macron’s office told reporters Friday on condition of anonymity.

Macron will look to stand firm towards President Xi Jinping on Ukraine while taking “another path” from the directly confrontational tone often heard from Washington, the official added.

China has refused to criticize Russia for its actions in Ukraine. A top French official acknowledged that Paris isn’t expecting to see a major shift in that position.

The Europeans won’t hold Xi back from arming Russia by “saying nicely what he shouldn’t do,” said Antoine Bondaz of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS).

He predicted instead that the leaders would warn him off arms deliveries in public while dangling the threat of sanctions in their private talks.

But France will push for initiatives helping ordinary Ukrainians and for possible avenues toward reaching a halfway solution to the war, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with the French presidency’s customary practices.

Paris and Beijing may find a point of convergence following Putin’s recent announcement that his country plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. China, without naming Russia, made clear its opposition to the planned deployment.

Macron will also seek to involve China deeper in global discussions on climate-related issues, as things are getting more complicated for him at home.

Concerns over mention of human rights

Though Macron’s office said human rights issues will be mentioned during the visit, some remain concerned.

“President Macron and von der Leyen should not sweep the Chinese government’s deepening authoritarianism under the rug during their visit to Beijing,” Bénédicte Jeannerod, France director at Human Rights Watch, told Politico .

“They should use their public appearances with Xi Jinping to express strong concerns over widespread rights abuses across China, heightened oppression in Hong Kong and Tibet, and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.”

Macron “must strongly denounce privately but also publicly the repression against Chinese activists and human rights advocates, Hong Kong’s people, Uyghurs and Tibetans,” France’s Human Rights League President Patrick Baudouin said in a statement.

On Friday, Macron will head to the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou, where Xi’s father used to work as provincial governor in the 1980s.

The French president will answer questions there from some of the 1,000 Chinese students at Sun Yat-Sen university. He will then meet Xi again for a private dinner and later meet with Chinese investors.

The visit also comes amid ever-rising tensions between the US and China , the world’s two largest economies.

Trade in focus

Trade will also be a major focus as Macron has asked European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to join him for a meeting with Xi that’s meant to show European unity especially on economic issues.

The French president said last month that he took such an initiative because he is “attached to European coordination.”

China is both the EU’s commercial partner and a rival, Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Market, said Monday on French news broadcaster FranceInfo. Breton said the message to Chinese authorities is that they “must stop trying to play one country against another.”

“Of course, China still is an important market for many European companies. But the (EU) internal market is a crucial market to China,” Breton added.

Macron will be accompanied by a delegation of over 50 CEOs including from French energy giant EDF, rail transport manufacturer Alstom and European plane-maker Airbus.

The top French official said negotiations were still being held on a potential deal with Airbus that would come on top of China’s 2019 order for 300 aircraft.

Macron previously travelled to China in 2019 before the COVID-19 crisis.

Von der Leyen last week complained that “far from being put off by the atrocious and illegal invasion of Ukraine, President Xi is maintaining his ’no-limits friendship’ with Putin’s Russia” – recalling a phrase coined immediately before the invasion last February.

“How China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward,” she added.

With inputs from agencies

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The IOC needs a new president after 12 years so what is the job and who are the 7 candidates?

FILE - IOC President Thomas Bach and French President Emmanuel Macron wave during the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony at the Stade de France, Aug. 11, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ashley Landis]

GENEVA (AP) — Seven candidates are competing for one of the biggest and best jobs in world sports that traditionally becomes available only every 12 years.

The International Olympic Committee announced on Monday which of its members in a most exclusive and discreet club have entered the race to be its next president. The election by secret ballot is in March.

The winner will replace Thomas Bach, a German lawyer who steps down in June on reaching the maximum 12 years in office.

The 10th IOC president could be its first female leader, or its first from Africa or Asia. Or even its first from Britain.

They will take over a financially stable organization that demands deft skills in the challenging arenas of sports and real-world politics.

FILE - IOC member and former swimmer Kirsty Coventry smiles on the arrival for a press conference after the executive board meeting of the IOC, at the Olympic House, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP, File)

Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Laurent Gillieron

Who are the candidates?

Prince Feisal al Hussein , an IOC member since 2010, on its executive board since 2019. Founder of the Generations for Peace sports charity. His older brother is King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Sebastian Coe , IOC member since 2020. President of World Athletics since 2015. Olympic champion in men’s 1,500 meters in 1980 and 1984. Elected lawmaker in British parliament from 1992-97. Led the 2012 London Olympics organizing committee.

Kirsty Coventry , IOC member since 2013, on executive board for a second time since 2023. Olympic champion in women’s 200 meters backstroke in 2004 and 2008. Appointed sports minister in Zimbabwe government since 2018. Chairs IOC panel overseeing the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Johan Eliasch , IOC member since August. President of International Ski and Snowboard Federation since 2021. Owner of Head sports equipment brand, CEO until 2021. Swedish-British citizen.

David Lappartient , IOC member since 2022. President of International Cycling Union since 2017. President of France’s Olympic committee and leader of French Alps bid that will host 2030 Winter Games. Chair of IOC esports panel that steered the Esports Olympics Games to Saudi Arabia.

Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. , IOC member since 2001, vice president since 2022, and member of the executive board from 2012-20. Founder of a Spain-based investment bank. Created Samaranch Foundation to promote the Olympics in China in honor of his father who was IOC president from 1980-2001.

Morinari Watanabe , IOC member since 2018. Japanese president of the International Gymnastics Federation since 2017.

When is the election and who votes?

The IOC election meeting is on March 18-21 at a resort hotel in Greece, near the site of Ancient Olympia.

Candidates and their compatriots cannot vote leaving about 95 eligible to take part in March. Among them, members of European and Asian royal families, including the Emir of Qatar; diplomats and lawmakers, including a former president of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović; businesspeople, including Nita Ambani, whose husband is India’s richest man; leaders of sports bodies; current and former Olympic athletes .

What is the IOC president’s job?

It’s an executive role running a not-for-profit organization that employs hundreds of staff at a modern lakeside headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC earns several billion dollars in revenue every four years from selling broadcasting and sponsor rights for the Summer Games and Winter Games.

Most of the money is distributed to the Olympic family: Organizers of upcoming Games including youth editions, governing bodies of Olympic sports, more than 200 national Olympic bodies, scholarships for potential Olympic athletes and special projects.

The job ideally calls for a deep knowledge of managing sports, understanding athletes’ needs and political skills.

What power does the IOC president have?

Within the Olympic family, the president can — and Bach did — use their influence and patronage: To decide who hosts future Olympic Games, who becomes an IOC member, who gets key committee positions.

Out in the wider world, the IOC is historically neutral in politics . It can — and Bach did — take a role in international diplomacy and with the United Nations, where it has formal observer status. The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games briefly brought host South Korea and North Korea closer together.

The IOC and its president go on decade-long journeys with governments and mayors of countries and cities that bid for, then organize and host Olympic Games. Some are too-big-to-fail personal projects for heads of states.

Bach’s first Olympics as president was Vladimir Putin’s Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. China’s Xi Jinping paid close attention to Beijing hosting the 2022 Winter Games in a COVID-19 lockdown.

Bach’s final lap ended in celebratory style in Paris this summer, often beside French President Emmanuel Macron.

A low point was a June 2017 visit to the White House when Los Angeles was bidding in what became a double hosting award: 2024 to Paris and 2028 to L.A. No official photos or readouts were released of the Olympic delegation’s meeting with then-President Donald Trump. It did not go well.

The next IOC president’s first Summer Games will be in 2028 in Los Angeles.

How long can IOC presidents stay in the job?

A maximum of 12 years, with a first term of eight years and the chance for one re-election for a further four.

However, the IOC has an age limit of 70 and complex rules around membership status. It means some of the seven candidates could have to seek a special exemption while in office to complete a full eight-year mandate.

How much does the IOC pay its president?

The IOC describes Bach as a volunteer, who should not financially benefit from his position though also “should not have to finance activities related to his function from his personal savings.” The solution since 2013 has been paying “a single annual fixed amount linked to inflation.”

That amounted to 275,000 euros ($306,000) in 2023, according to the most recent IOC annual report.

What are the challenges and big decisions ahead?

Picking a host for the 2036 Summer Games, with India and Qatar as strong contenders.

Renewing the United States broadcast deal that has typically underwritten Olympic finances. Bach moved quickly in 2014 to re-up NBC’s deal through 2032. The next deal starts with the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Both decisions factor into wider questions in regard to drafting the global sports calendar. July-August has been the optimal Summer Games slot since 2004. But a 2036 Doha Olympics could not be held in those months, and where could comfortably after another decade of climate change?

When and how can Russia be reintegrated fully into international sports with no end to its invasion of Ukraine in sight? Coe’s world track and field body currently excludes Russian athletes entirely.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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The ioc needs a new president after 12 years so what is the job and who are the 7 candidates.

Graham Dunbar

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

FILE - IOC President Thomas Bach and French President Emmanuel Macron wave during the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony at the Stade de France, Aug. 11, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

GENEVA – Seven candidates are competing for one of the biggest and best jobs in world sports that traditionally becomes available only every 12 years.

The International Olympic Committee announced on Monday which of its members in a most exclusive and discreet club have entered the race to be its next president. The election by secret ballot is in March.

Recommended Videos

The winner will replace Thomas Bach, a German lawyer who steps down in June on reaching the maximum 12 years in office.

The 10th IOC president could be its first female leader, or its first from Africa or Asia. Or even its first from Britain.

They will take over a financially stable organization that demands deft skills in the challenging arenas of sports and real-world politics.

Who are the candidates?

Prince Feisal al Hussein , an IOC member since 2010, on its executive board since 2019. Founder of the Generations for Peace sports charity. His older brother is King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Sebastian Coe , IOC member since 2020. President of World Athletics since 2015. Olympic champion in men’s 1,500 meters in 1980 and 1984. Elected lawmaker in British parliament from 1992-97. Led the 2012 London Olympics organizing committee.

Kirsty Coventry , IOC member since 2013, on executive board for a second time since 2023. Olympic champion in women’s 200 meters backstroke in 2004 and 2008. Appointed sports minister in Zimbabwe government since 2018. Chairs IOC panel overseeing the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Johan Eliasch , IOC member since August. President of International Ski and Snowboard Federation since 2021. Owner of Head sports equipment brand, CEO until 2021. Swedish-British citizen.

David Lappartient , IOC member since 2022. President of International Cycling Union since 2017. President of France's Olympic committee and leader of French Alps bid that will host 2030 Winter Games. Chair of IOC esports panel that steered the Esports Olympics Games to Saudi Arabia.

Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. , IOC member since 2001, vice president since 2022, and member of the executive board from 2012-20. Founder of a Spain-based investment bank. Created Samaranch Foundation to promote the Olympics in China in honor of his father who was IOC president from 1980-2001.

Morinari Watanabe , IOC member since 2018. Japanese president of the International Gymnastics Federation since 2017.

When is the election and who votes?

The IOC election meeting is on March 18-21 at a resort hotel in Greece, near the site of Ancient Olympia.

Candidates and their compatriots cannot vote leaving about 95 eligible to take part in March. Among them, members of European and Asian royal families, including the Emir of Qatar; diplomats and lawmakers, including a former president of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović; businesspeople, including Nita Ambani, whose husband is India’s richest man; leaders of sports bodies; current and former Olympic athletes .

What is the IOC president’s job?

It's an executive role running a not-for-profit organization that employs hundreds of staff at a modern lakeside headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC earns several billion dollars in revenue every four years from selling broadcasting and sponsor rights for the Summer Games and Winter Games.

Most of the money is distributed to the Olympic family: Organizers of upcoming Games including youth editions, governing bodies of Olympic sports, more than 200 national Olympic bodies, scholarships for potential Olympic athletes and special projects.

The job ideally calls for a deep knowledge of managing sports, understanding athletes’ needs and political skills.

What power does the IOC president have?

Within the Olympic family, the president can — and Bach did — use their influence and patronage: To decide who hosts future Olympic Games, who becomes an IOC member, who gets key committee positions.

Out in the wider world, the IOC is historically neutral in politics . It can — and Bach did — take a role in international diplomacy and with the United Nations, where it has formal observer status. The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games briefly brought host South Korea and North Korea closer together.

The IOC and its president go on decade-long journeys with governments and mayors of countries and cities that bid for, then organize and host Olympic Games. Some are too-big-to-fail personal projects for heads of states.

Bach’s first Olympics as president was Vladimir Putin’s Winter Games in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. China’s Xi Jinping paid close attention to Beijing hosting the 2022 Winter Games in a COVID-19 lockdown.

Bach’s final lap ended in celebratory style in Paris this summer, often beside French President Emmanuel Macron.

A low point was a June 2017 visit to the White House when Los Angeles was bidding in what became a double hosting award: 2024 to Paris and 2028 to L.A. No official photos or readouts were released of the Olympic delegation’s meeting with then-President Donald Trump. It did not go well.

The next IOC president’s first Summer Games will be in 2028 in Los Angeles.

How long can IOC presidents stay in the job?

A maximum of 12 years, with a first term of eight years and the chance for one re-election for a further four.

However, the IOC has an age limit of 70 and complex rules around membership status. It means some of the seven candidates could have to seek a special exemption while in office to complete a full eight-year mandate.

How much does the IOC pay its president?

The IOC describes Bach as a volunteer, who should not financially benefit from his position though also "should not have to finance activities related to his function from his personal savings.” The solution since 2013 has been paying “a single annual fixed amount linked to inflation.”

That amounted to 275,000 euros ($306,000) in 2023, according to the most recent IOC annual report.

What are the challenges and big decisions ahead?

Picking a host for the 2036 Summer Games, with India and Qatar as strong contenders.

Renewing the United States broadcast deal that has typically underwritten Olympic finances. Bach moved quickly in 2014 to re-up NBC’s deal through 2032. The next deal starts with the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

Both decisions factor into wider questions in regard to drafting the global sports calendar. July-August has been the optimal Summer Games slot since 2004. But a 2036 Doha Olympics could not be held in those months, and where could comfortably after another decade of climate change?

When and how can Russia be reintegrated fully into international sports with no end to its invasion of Ukraine in sight? Coe’s world track and field body currently excludes Russian athletes entirely.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.