King Jung begins European tour... Discusses Ukraine war with Macron

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] Wang Yi, the highest-ranking official in China's diplomatic line and a member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau, met with Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and exchanged views on resolving the Ukraine crisis, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 16th.

Xinhua reported that Wang, who is on a European tour, met with President Macron at the ?lys?e Palace in Paris on the 15th (local time) and exchanged "in-depth opinions" on the Ukraine issue. At the meeting, Wang told President Macron, "China maintains an objective and fair stance on this issue and is committed to promoting peace talks." He also said, "China values France's role as an independent and sovereign major power," and added, "Together with the international community, we seek a political solution and hope for a ceasefire as soon as possible."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP), the French government also stated regarding this meeting that "both sides expressed the same goal of contributing to peace in accordance with international law." President Macron said, "France values its relationship with China and believes that strengthening strategic dialogue between the two countries is of great significance," adding, "In the increasingly complex international situation, the two countries must jointly work to maintain stability and balance, uphold multilateralism, oppose bloc confrontation, and prevent global division."

Wang is scheduled to attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany on the 18th, where he will present China's position on the war. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also expected to attend, drawing attention to whether a meeting between high-level diplomatic officials from the U.S. and China will take place. Especially as tensions between the two countries have intensified following the spread of the China-origin reconnaissance balloon incident, if the two sides meet, there is a possibility that discussions or direct expressions of opinion on this issue will arise.

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