French President Emmanuel Macron mulls a trip to Beijing, yet does not intend on going solo. In a bid to bring more political weight to bear, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will accompany him.
After a two-day EU summit in Brussels, the French leader told a press conference on Friday, March 24th that he would seek a visit to Beijing as soon as early April. In light of increased tensions between the West and China, Macron’s conviction that a European “unified voice” must be heard in China’s capital has become even stronger.
“I do not have a European mandate, as France has its independent diplomacy—but I am attached to European coordination,” Macron said, adding that he had “suggested to von der Leyen that she accompany him to China” so they could jointly represent that “unified voice.”
According to Politico, a Commission spokesperson has confirmed that von der Leyen has agreed to accompany Macron—her first trip to Beijing as Commission president.
Ahead of the visit, anticipated for April 4th-8th, von der Leyen will reportedly also give a speech on EU-China relations next Thursday, March 30th.
The aim of the trip, Macron explained, is “to try and bring China to our side and put pressure on Russia, so that it does not use chemical weapons and nuclear weapons obviously, but also to do everything to stop the conflict and return to the negotiating table.”
Macron noted that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who visited Beijing last November (having shunted Macron’s proposal for a joint trip), was in full agreement with him. The two shared “a common vision,” i.e. “engage with China in order to put pressure on Russia.”
China—much to the collective West’s consternation—so far has chosen not to take Russia to task over its war in Ukraine. Ukraine, meanwhile, has not deterred Beijing from seeking increased cooperation between the two nations. Last February, China published a 12-point peace plan calling for a political settlement of the conflict, positioning itself as a neutral party.
While lauding China’s efforts, Macron called on Beijing to resist Moscow’s requests for weapons, as he insisted peace could only be achieved if Russia withdrew its troops—including from those regions it annexed through referendums, the legality of which Kyiv and its western backers do not recognize.
The upcoming Macron/von der Leyen visit is to be only one of many. Hinting at what could become a trend amongst European leaders, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has expressed his own intention of making the journey.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has shown himself equally willing to do likewise. Though soon, a date has not yet been set. On Ukraine, he said that Europe should welcome any attempts by Beijing to distance itself from Moscow’s war.
Notably, no high-ranking Chinese official has announced an intention to land on European soil anytime soon.
