French Foreign Minister expects ‘clear messages’ from China to Russia on Ukraine

After meeting his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing Monday, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said China could play a "key role" in negotiating peace in Ukraine.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after a joint press conference in Beijing, China, 1 April 2024. © Ken Ishii/Pool via Reuters

"We are convinced that there will be no lasting peace if it is not negotiated with the Ukrainians," Séjourné told reporters at a press conference, alongside Wang.

"There will be no security for Europeans if there is no peace in accordance with international law," he continued. And China, he said, could play a "key role" in ensuring respect for international law is maintained.

Improving relations

While trying to improve ties with China, France has also been pushing Beijing over its relationship with Moscow, which has deepened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Many western countries have asked China to play a more active role in resolving the conflict.

Séjourné said Monday that France wants China "to send very clear messages to Russia" over the war in Ukraine.

• Six decades of rocky relations between France and China

Séjourné’s is the second visit by a French foreign minister to China in less than six months, after his predecessor, Catherine Colonna, travelled there in November.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit France and Italy in May.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and France.

China vs EU

France’s attempts to improve ties comes as the European Union is looking to distance itself from overly relying on China.

But Séjourné reiterated that édecouplingé – a term that describes the aim of some policy makers in the United States to cut trade ties and isolate China – was not on the table.

Instead, he said an "economic rebalancing" was needed to ensure trade is "healthy and sustainable".

"It is not possible to decouple from China, and decoupling from China is the biggest risk," Wang said, after noting his appreciation of Sejourne’s rejection of the concept.

"China is an opportunity and not a risk for Europe," he said. "Both sides are partners and not rivals."

(with AFP)