French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said today in Beijing that France expects China to send “very clear messages to Russia”, its closest partner, about the war in Ukraine.
“We hope that China will send very clear messages to Russia,” said the minister, defending “a balance of forces favorable to Ukraine”, at a press conference with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
“China obviously plays a fundamental role in ensuring Ukraine’s independence and respect for international law, including its sovereignty,” Séjourné added.
Beijing, which presents itself as a neutral party but whose relationship with Moscow has deepened since the start of the conflict, is working on a political solution to end the war.
China refused, however, to condemn Russia for the invasion of Ukraine and criticized the imposition of sanctions against Moscow. The Asian country has provided important political, diplomatic and economic support to Russia. Bilateral trade recorded, in 2023, year-on-year growth of 26.3%, to 240 billion dollars (223 billion euros).
“This war concerns the entire international community,” Stéphane Séjourné told his Chinese counterpart, who did not mention the conflict in Ukraine in his introductory speech at the start of the meeting with the press.
War in Ukraine
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“We are convinced that there will not be a lasting peace if it is not negotiated with the Ukrainians”, stressed the French minister. “There will be no security for Europeans if there is no peace in accordance with international law,” he added.
“It is, therefore, an essential issue for us, and that is why France is determined to maintain a close dialogue with China,” added Séjourné, who is on a one-day visit to the Chinese capital.
The minister also spoke about the economic relationship between France and China: “it is not desirable to dissociate ourselves from China”, that is, to significantly reduce economic ties between the two countries, he said.
In recent months, several political leaders from Europe and the United States have spoken of the need to reduce their countries’ dependence on the Asian giant, something that the Chinese Government strongly opposes.
However, the head of France’s diplomacy called for a “rebalancing of the economy”, because “our commercial exchanges must also be based on a healthy and sustainable basis”.
