Macron, President of France, "Expecting China to Play a Mediating Role in the Ukraine War"

French President Emmanuel Macron
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] French President Emmanuel Macron said he plans to visit China early next year, expecting China to play a mediator role in preventing the escalation of the Ukraine war.

According to major foreign media on the 16th (local time), President Macron made these remarks at a press conference after concluding the Group of 20 (G20) summit held in Bali, Indonesia.

President Macron said, "I am confident that China can play a more important mediating role from our perspective going forward."

He emphasized, "The G20 has not ignored the Ukraine war," adding, "There is room to pressure Russia to ease tensions together with major emerging countries such as China and India." He also pointed out, "Russia must hear the very clear message sent by the international community gathered here and return to the negotiating table."

President Macron revealed that he also discussed visiting China early next year with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He held a nearly one-hour summit with President Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit the previous day.

Additionally, at the press conference, President Macron expressed support for accepting the African Union (AU) as a member of the G20, just as the European Union (EU) participates in the G20 summit.

Furthermore, he urged Iran to "return to a spirit of cooperation," noting that Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive by carrying out an "unacceptable hostage drama" targeting French nationals.

Meanwhile, Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), responded to follow-up questions regarding President Macron’s remarks at a separate press conference on the same day. He stated, "China should clearly condemn Russia’s invasion, which is a blatant violation of international law and infringes on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity." He cited China’s refusal to vote in favor of the UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion as an example and urged a change in China’s stance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.