“There will be little progress on the Ukrainian file” according to a China specialist

“There will be little progress on the Ukrainian file”anticipates Thursday April 6 on franceinfo Alice Ekman, responsible for Asia at the Institute for Security Studies of the European Union and author of “Last Flight to Beijing” at the Editions de l’Observatoire. Emmanuel Macron is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the day. The two men will then be joined by European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen.

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As international pressure mounts for China to get involved for peace in Ukraine, “It’s going to be very difficult”assures Alice Ekman, because of divergent positions. “Xi Jinping is totally on Vladimir Putin’s side”she assures, “he reiterated this during his visit to Moscow two weeks ago, wishing the Russian president that he will be re-elected in 2024”. “But there is also the identification of a common enemy on the side of Beijing and Moscow”continues the researcher, “by designating the United States and more broadly the West and NATO. We have a polarization of the world which is quite clear”.

Economic cooperation

As for the characterization of the facts, there again, no common ground: “China is not talking about a Russian invasion of Ukraine”recalls Alice Ekman, “and never condemned Russian positions or actions. On the contrary, China for example opposed the exclusion of Russia from the human rights council”. Moreover, in its 12-point plan on the Ukrainian file, Beijing “talks about respecting the sovereignty, but not only of Ukraine: of all countries.”

On the economic aspect of relations between the two countries, “the objective is to rebuild ties and extend economic cooperation in traditional sectors such as civil nuclear power, ecological transition or aeronautics”, underlines the researcher. Emmanuel Macron is accompanied by a large delegation of business leaders, whose relations with China have been damaged during the Covid crisis.