President Emmanuel Macron met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the capital, Beijing on Thursday, as the French president moves to dissuade China from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The president had said in a speech that Beijing can play a “major role” in finding a path to peace in the conflict and welcomed China’s “willingness to commit to a resolution.”
Report says President Macron who arrived on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, shook hands with Xi outside the Great Hall of the People, the heart of power in the capital.
Xi greeted his guest on a huge red carpet lined by Chinese and French flags as the countries’ national anthems played.
The West is increasing pressure on China to help push for peace in Ukraine.
Despite Beijing’s official neutrality, Xi has never condemned Russia’s invasion.
After Macron’s talks with president Xi, the two leaders will give statements to the press, followed by a three-way meeting with von der Leyen and, finally, a state dinner.
Emmanuel MACRON is the eighth President of the Fifth Republic of France.
He launched the movement « En Marche ! », founded on April, 6 2016, and was its leader until his victory in the presidential election on May, 7 2017.
On April 24, 2022, Emmanuel MACRON is re-elected President of the Republic.
Emmanuel MACRON was born in December 1977 in Amiens, in the Somme department. He studied philosophy, and later attended the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) where he graduated in 2004.
Emmanuel Macron then joined the Inspectorate General of Finance where he worked for four years before entering the banking sector.
In 2012, he became Deputy General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic. He left office in July 2014 and served as the Minister for Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs from August 2014 to August 2016.