French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 on Tuesday 15 November. This was an opportunity for Mr Macron to recall the European efforts to end the war and fight against food insecurity, notably by facilitating Ukrainian exports.
According to the Elysée Palace’s report after the meeting, the two heads of state “reaffirmed their commitment to respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and agreed on the urgency of de-escalation”. As with the US president, Joe Biden, a few days before, Xi Jinping spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons.
“The effects of this conflict go beyond European borders: thanks to close coordination between France and China, we will overcome them”, said the French president after his meeting with the Chinese president.
Emmanuel Macron is also due to meet his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on 16 November, as well as other heads of state or government, on the sidelines of the G20. Its objective is to create coalitions to deal with major issues, explained a source at the Élysée Palace. “We need all the players on the international scene: the Americans as well as the Chinese and Indians” the source added. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)