French President Emmanuel Macron and China's top diplomat Wang Yi have agreed to contribute towards peace in Ukraine. China remains an important Russian ally, and has not condemned its invasion of Ukraine launched nearly a year ago.
Wang, the director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, met with Macron behind closed doors at the Elysée Palace on Wednesday at the start of a weeklong European tour
He and Macron discussed the war and its "consequences on the most vulnerable countries, particularly in terms of food security and financing capacity," according to Macron’s office.
Both Macron and Wang "expressed the same objective of contributing to peace in accordance with international law", said the French presidency without specifying what each country's contributions might be.
Wang also met with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who called on him to "intensify pressure on Russia to allow for a return to a respect of the fundamental principals of the United Nations Charter", the foreign ministry said.
Macron has expressed his hope that China could use its influence on Russia to pressure it to return to the negotiating table.
China’s refusal to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and join others in imposing sanctions on Russia has frayed ties with the West and fueled an emerging divide with much of Europe.
In December, Wang defended what he called his country's position of impartiality on the war and signaled that China would deepen ties with Russia in 2023.
In Paris Wednesday Wang and Macron also discussed other, climate-related issues, with Macron detailing the goals of a summit focusing on preserving forests that France will co-preside in Libreville, Gabon, on 2 March.
Wang is to participate Thursday in a session of the French-Chinese strategic dialogue with Macron's diplomatic advisor, Emmanuel Bonne.
After his visit to France, Wang will continue his tour of Europe, which is seen as part of China’s efforts to restore ties on the continent as tension rises with the United States.
He will stop at the Munich Security Conference, scheduled for Friday to Sunday and will also travel to Moscow, as well as Italy and Hungary.
(with newswires)
