European leaders are flocking to Beijing, and Russia’s war against Ukraine is one of the main topics for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who recently visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
On March 31, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met with Xi in Beijing and, in particular, told him that Spain supports the Ukrainian peace plan – the liberation of all Russian-occupied Ukrainian lands.
And on Wednesday, April 4, French President Emmanuel Macron flies to Beijing. He is accompanied by the head of the European Commission (actually the EU government) Ursula von der Leyen.
Their main goal, writes the BBC, is to understand what Europe’s relationship with Beijing will be like after the complete discord between the US (the EU’s main ally) and China (the EU’s main trading partner).
The world’s two largest economic and military powers have quarreled over Taiwan, trade, human rights and technological advantage, bringing the world back to the brink of a Cold War.
Europe does not seek to sever ties with China, like the United States. Yes, and it is beneficial for Xi Jinping to maintain good relations with her, because the EU is the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China, the largest market for Chinese goods and the main alternative source of Western investment and know-how in the context of a trade and technological war with the United States.
Von der Leyen gave a keynote speech before the visit on the new era of EU-China relations and said that they need each other, and that relations are good in many areas, but there are more and more problems, because China is gradually moving from openness and integration to closedness. and self-affirmation, including by force.
Macron has not said anything programmatic about China lately, because he is busy with domestic problems – the people have rebelled against the pension reform, the country is practically paralyzed.
However, Macron did not dare to cancel his visit to China. In front of him, as is customary, the Élysée Palace anonymously relayed to select journalists the details of what Macron was about to tell Xi.
The main opinion is that we are ready to cooperate, but everything can change dramatically if China crosses the border and decides to provide military support along the way.
Europe is helping Kyiv to fend off Russian aggression and is interested in a speedy end to the war, but with the condition of restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
At the beginning of the war, Macron constantly called along the way, but a year later, contacts between the EU, the USA and the Kremlin came to naught, and the positions are so irreconcilable that in Europe they are increasingly saying that it is China that can move the situation off the ground, and the only leader , capable of influencing Putin, is Xi.
It is clear that China is one of the few countries on the planet, and perhaps the only country in the world, capable of breaking the course of this conflict, and in both directions, the agencies quoted an unnamed official from the Macron administration.
The key role of China is explained by the fact that Xi has new leverage on the Kremlin, as the way has made the economy isolated from the West dependent on China.
Any outcome of the war, including the defeat of Russia, will not change this fact, since the West is not going to lift sanctions and is resolutely trying to get off the Russian oil and gas needle.
In addition, Xi is able to tip the scales in favor of the Kremlin if he provides him with military support and helps to circumvent Western sanctions. So far, neither has happened.
Macron will try to convince Xi not to do this anymore.
We will say frankly: no matter how tempting to go for a rapprochement with Russia, this limit should not be crossed, ”a high-ranking French diplomat quotes Reuters.
It may be a little easier for Macron to yell at Xi now that the path has skidded to cross the already Chinese red limit and, contrary to the policy of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, place it in Belarus.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.