The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, took advantage of a visit to the Chinese capital on Monday to urge Beijing to put more pressure on Moscow.
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Visiting Beijing, Stéphane Séjourné thinks of kyiv. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs said he expected from China, Monday April 1, “that she sends very clear messages to Russia” on the conflict in Ukraine. “This war concerns the entire international community”he said during a press conference with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who did not specifically mention the subject in his introductory speech.
China, which presents itself as a neutral party, but whose relationship with Russia has deepened since the start of the conflict, advocates a political settlement to end the fighting. It is regularly called upon by the Western community to play a more active role in this conflict, using its influence over Moscow. Stéphane Séjourné pleaded for establishing “a balance of power favorable to Ukraine”, affirming that “this is why France is determined to maintain a close dialogue with China”.
France wants an “economic rebalancing” with Beijing
The minister also discussed the relationship between France and China and spoke out in favor of “economic rebalancing”. “It is not desirable to decouple from China”, that is to say to significantly reduce economic ties between the two countries, he nevertheless assured. In recent months, several leaders in Europe and the United States have spoken of the need to reduce their country’s dependence on the Asian giant, something the Chinese government says it is opposed to.
Wang Yi said “appreciate” that his counterpart rejects the idea of decoupling. “I believe it has been proven, and will continue to be proven, that China is an opportunity and not a risk for Europe. The two sides are partners, not rivals.”he added.
Stéphane Séjourné’s visit is part of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China, in a context of resumption of face-to-face exchanges since the end of Covid. This is the second time in less than six months that a French foreign minister has visited China, following the visit last November of Stéphane Séjourné’s predecessor, Catherine Colonna.