Macron urges Xi Jinping to use clout, halt Russia’s Ukraine war
The HinduFrench President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pressed Xi Jinping at a summit in Paris on May 6 to use Beijing's influence to halt the Russian war against Ukraine, also telling the Chinese leader to accept fair global trade rules. Mr. Xi's two-day state visit to France is his first visit to Europe since 2019 on a trip that will Opening an initial trilateral meeting attended by Ms. von der Leyen, Mr. Macron said coordination with Beijing on "major crises" including Ukraine was "absolutely decisive" and urged "fair rules for all" in Europe-China trade. "More effort is needed to curtail delivery of dual use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield," Ms. von der Leyen said after talks, adding that "this does affect EU-China relations". Von der Leyen also said she was "confident" Xi Jinping would continue to play an "important role" in de-escalating tensions over nuclear threats made by Russia, hours after President Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear weapons drills involving troops based near Ukraine. Both Mr. Macron and Ms. von der Leyen have indicated that trade was a priority in the talks, underscoring that Europe must defend its "strategic interests" in its economic relations with China.