Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, French President Emmanuel Macron discuss Ukraine war during meeting in Paris
- Observers say the foreign minister’s itinerary suggests that while China may be keen to patch things up with the EU, it has no intention of abandoning Russia
- The top Chinese diplomat begins his European trip, which will also take him to Italy, Germany, Hungary and Russia
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, began a whistle-stop tour designed to bolster strained ties with Europe on Wednesday, meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
Wang also met with Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, ahead of an expected trip by Macron to Beijing in April.
It marks Wang’s first trip to Europe since taking the top foreign ministry job last year and comes with EU-China relations reeling from a series of blows.
Wang – a former long-term foreign minister who was promoted to Beijing’s 24-member Politburo last year – will also visit EU member states Italy, Germany and Hungary, with the final stop expected to be Moscow, on the cusp of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to a Chinese government readout of the meeting carried by state media Xinhua, Wang and Macron exchanged “in-depth views about the Ukraine issue”. Wang told the French president that China “adheres to an objective and impartial stance on the issue and is committed to promoting peace talks”, according to the report.