China on Wednesday waded into the controversy over French President Emmanuel Macron's comments in which he called for greater "European sovereignty" by not following the US policy over China and Taiwan.

"The question we need to answer, as Europeans, is the following: Is it in our interest to accelerate (a crisis) on Taiwan? No," Macron was quoted as saying in the interview after his recent visit to China during which he held extensive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and later Guangzhou.

"The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction," Macron said.

The comments were made last Friday before China launched large-scale combat drills around Taiwan that simulated sealing off the island in response to the Taiwanese president's trip to the US last week.

Macron's comments raised questions about the EU's relationship with both the US and China.

"We have noticed that President Macron's view that Europe should insist on strategic autonomy and avoid getting involved in group confrontations has attracted some criticism, especially from the United States. We are not surprised by this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told the media here while responding to the controversy over the French President's comments.

"What we want to tell you is that some countries do not want to see other countries become independent, and always want to coerce other countries to obey their will," he said.

"But adhering to strategic autonomy will win more respect and more friends, while coercion and pressure will only result in more resistance and opposition," Wang said.

He said Macron paid a successful visit to China and the two sides reached an important consensus, injecting new impetus into deepening China-France and China-EU cooperation.

&nbsp;

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China on Wednesday waded into the controversy over French President Emmanuel Macron's comments in which he called for greater "European sovereignty" by not following the US policy over China and Taiwan.

China on Wednesday waded into the controversy over French President Emmanuel Macron's comments in which he called for greater "European sovereignty" by not following the US policy over China and Taiwan. "The question we need to answer, as Europeans, is the following: Is it in our interest to accelerate (a crisis) on Taiwan? No," Macron was quoted as saying in the interview after his recent visit to China during which he held extensive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and later Guangzhou. "The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction," Macron said. The comments were made last Friday before China launched large-scale combat drills around Taiwan that simulated sealing off the island in response to the Taiwanese president's trip to the US last week. Macron's comments raised questions about the EU's relationship with both the US and China. "We have noticed that President Macron's view that Europe should insist on strategic autonomy and avoid getting involved in group confrontations has attracted some criticism, especially from the United States. We are not surprised by this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told the media here while responding to the controversy over the French President's comments. "What we want to tell you is that some countries do not want to see other countries become independent, and always want to coerce other countries to obey their will," he said. "But adhering to strategic autonomy will win more respect and more friends, while coercion and pressure will only result in more resistance and opposition," Wang said. He said Macron paid a successful visit to China and the two sides reached an important consensus, injecting new impetus into deepening China-France and China-EU cooperation. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

China backs French President Macron’s remarks against following US policy on Taiwan

French President Emmanuel Macron was given a rousing reception at a top university in southern China on the last day of his trip where scores of students made a beeline to take selfies and shake hands.

After his official motorcade arrived on the grounds of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou on Friday, huge crowds of waiting students broke into ecstatic cheers and then mobbed the French leader.&nbsp;

Screams of “I love you Macron” reverberated on the premises as the French president made his way amidst Chinese and French secret service officers guarding him.

The scenes of cheers and jubilation witnessed&nbsp;here were in stark contrast to the tensions back home where he wasn’t even able to set foot on the campus of a French university last week for fear of being lynched by angry protesters opposing his pension reforms.

The French leader then spoke to students in the campus gym and answered their questions before leaving for an early dinner with President Xi Jinping ahead of meetings with Chinese investors.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Macron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Macron</a> the French President is more welcomed in China than France by the look of it. 
 
Here he is today visiting University in Guangzhou, China. <a href="https://t.co/vKp0uSmxt5">pic.twitter.com/vKp0uSmxt5</a>
— James B (@JamesBAusCN) <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesBAusCN/status/1644275237796864000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Macron landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day trip and urged Xi to hold talks with Russia and Ukraine and make efforts to end the war.

“I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table,” Macron told Xi on Thursday.

A French diplomat told AFP that Xi expressed willingness to speak with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, but only when the time is right.

In a joint statement late Friday, both sides pledged to "support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine".

The statement, however, neither named Russia nor condemned its invasion and called on all parties to respect international law.

Macron’s visit also focused on strengthening trade relations with China. He was accompanied by more than 50 French business leaders, including the top bosses of Airbus, EDF and Veolia.

Airbus announced Thursday it would open a second final assembly line in&nbsp;China&nbsp;that will double its production capacity in the country, with the framework for the deal signed by CEO Guillaume Faury in Beijing.

(With inputs from agencies)

 
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French President Emmanuel Macron was given a rousing reception at a top university in southern China on the last day of his trip where scores of students made a beeline to take selfies and shake hands.

French President Emmanuel Macron was given a rousing reception at a top university in southern China on the last day of his trip where scores of students made a beeline to take selfies and shake hands. After his official motorcade arrived on the grounds of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou on Friday, huge crowds of waiting students broke into ecstatic cheers and then mobbed the French leader. Screams of “I love you Macron” reverberated on the premises as the French president made his way amidst Chinese and French secret service officers guarding him. The scenes of cheers and jubilation witnessed here were in stark contrast to the tensions back home where he wasn’t even able to set foot on the campus of a French university last week for fear of being lynched by angry protesters opposing his pension reforms. The French leader then spoke to students in the campus gym and answered their questions before leaving for an early dinner with President Xi Jinping ahead of meetings with Chinese investors. #Macron the French President is more welcomed in China than France by the look of it. Here he is today visiting University in Guangzhou, China. pic.twitter.com/vKp0uSmxt5 — James B (@JamesBAusCN) April 7, 2023 × Macron landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day trip and urged Xi to hold talks with Russia and Ukraine and make efforts to end the war. “I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table,” Macron told Xi on Thursday. A French diplomat told AFP that Xi expressed willingness to speak with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, but only when the time is right. In a joint statement late Friday, both sides pledged to "support all efforts to restore peace in Ukraine". The statement, however, neither named Russia nor condemned its invasion and called on all parties to respect international law. Macron’s visit also focused on strengthening trade relations with China. He was accompanied by more than 50 French business leaders, including the top bosses of Airbus, EDF and Veolia. Airbus announced Thursday it would open a second final assembly line in China that will double its production capacity in the country, with the framework for the deal signed by CEO Guillaume Faury in Beijing. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Watch | French President Macron gets rockstar welcome at top Chinese university, mobbed by students

Iranian & Saudi FMs met in Beijing on Thursday. French President Macron also held talks with Xi Jinping on the same day. Is China now the world's biggest truce-broker? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Is China now the world's biggest truce-broker?

French President Emmanuel Macron told his Chinese counterpart to persuade Russia to end the ongoing war in Ukraine as he held a crucial meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (April 6). In response, Xi said that he also hoped that the two warring nations could hold peace negotiations as soon as possible.&nbsp;

Xi greeted Macron at the grand Great Hall of the People with an elaborate military parade and after that, the leaders went on to hold their talks and discussed trade ties and issues of mutual interest.&nbsp;

Both Macron and Xi advocated the urgency to pursue peace talks and also reaffirmed that they are opposed to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.&nbsp;

Pointing towards China’s support for the United Nations Charter, which calls for respect of a country’s territorial integrity, and for nuclear agreements, Macron said, “I know I can count on you, under the two principles I just mentioned, to bring Russia to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table.”

“We need to find a lasting peace. I believe that this is also an important issue for China, as much as it is for France and for Europe,” Macron told Xi. 
 
The Elysee Palace said that the talks were "frank and constructive", meanwhile Beijing said the discussions were "friendly" and "in-depth".&nbsp; 
 
Ahead of the meeting with Xi's, Macron met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and the French president stressed the importance of dialogue between China and France "in these troubled times".

<h2>Ukraine takes centre stage</h2>

Ukraine emerged to be a headline point during the talks between Xi and Macron, and both leaders agreed on the need to focus on "peace talks". The French president said that Beijing can play a "major role" in finding a path to peace in the conflict and welcomed China's "willingness to commit to a resolution".&nbsp;

Macron's visit comes against the backdrop of Beijing's peace plan&nbsp;to end the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. China had floated a peace plan as a 12-point foreign ministry paper for a gradual de-escalation of the war.&nbsp;

Macron said he is "counting" on Xi to persuade the Russian president, however, it appears to be unlikely, especially after the Chinese president's recent visit to Moscow and meeting with Vladimir Putin. Putin told his Chinese counterpart that their countries shared many "common goals" and also said that the visit was "symbolic".&nbsp;

Also, Beijing is officially neutral and Xi has never condemned the Russian invasion and has never spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since the war started last year in February. &nbsp; 
 
China is the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, and this trade has propped up the Kremlin's revenue amid sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.&nbsp;

<h2>No prospect of Chinese mediation</h2>

The Kremlin said it saw no "prospect" for China to mediate the Ukraine conflict and said it had "no other way" than to press on with its offensive.&nbsp;

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Undoubtedly, China has a very effective and commanding potential for mediation. But the situation with Ukraine is complex, so far there are no prospects for a political settlement. At the moment, there are no other ways for us aside from the continuation of the special military operation."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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French President Emmanuel Macron told his Chinese counterpart to persuade Russia to end the ongoing war in Ukraine as he held a crucial meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (April 6).

French President Emmanuel Macron told his Chinese counterpart to persuade Russia to end the ongoing war in Ukraine as he held a crucial meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (April 6). In response, Xi said that he also hoped that the two warring nations could hold peace negotiations as soon as possible. Xi greeted Macron at the grand Great Hall of the People with an elaborate military parade and after that, the leaders went on to hold their talks and discussed trade ties and issues of mutual interest. Both Macron and Xi advocated the urgency to pursue peace talks and also reaffirmed that they are opposed to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Pointing towards China’s support for the United Nations Charter, which calls for respect of a country’s territorial integrity, and for nuclear agreements, Macron said, “I know I can count on you, under the two principles I just mentioned, to bring Russia to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table.” “We need to find a lasting peace. I believe that this is also an important issue for China, as much as it is for France and for Europe,” Macron told Xi. The Elysee Palace said that the talks were "frank and constructive", meanwhile Beijing said the discussions were "friendly" and "in-depth". Ahead of the meeting with Xi's, Macron met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and the French president stressed the importance of dialogue between China and France "in these troubled times". Ukraine takes centre stage Ukraine emerged to be a headline point during the talks between Xi and Macron, and both leaders agreed on the need to focus on "peace talks". The French president said that Beijing can play a "major role" in finding a path to peace in the conflict and welcomed China's "willingness to commit to a resolution". Macron's visit comes against the backdrop of Beijing's peace plan to end the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. China had floated a peace plan as a 12-point foreign ministry paper for a gradual de-escalation of the war. Macron said he is "counting" on Xi to persuade the Russian president, however, it appears to be unlikely, especially after the Chinese president's recent visit to Moscow and meeting with Vladimir Putin. Putin told his Chinese counterpart that their countries shared many "common goals" and also said that the visit was "symbolic". Also, Beijing is officially neutral and Xi has never condemned the Russian invasion and has never spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since the war started last year in February. China is the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, and this trade has propped up the Kremlin's revenue amid sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. No prospect of Chinese mediation The Kremlin said it saw no "prospect" for China to mediate the Ukraine conflict and said it had "no other way" than to press on with its offensive. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "Undoubtedly, China has a very effective and commanding potential for mediation. But the situation with Ukraine is complex, so far there are no prospects for a political settlement. At the moment, there are no other ways for us aside from the continuation of the special military operation." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Macron in China: French president wants Xi Jinping to ‘bring Russia to its senses’

French President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting with China's newly-appointed Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing. Macron is in China for a three-day trip with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a show of European unity in dealings with Beijing.

French President Macron meets Chinese Premier Li in Beijing

French President Emmanuel Macron landed in China on shortly ahead of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. The leaders will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping with the objective to repair ties with Beijing. They are also set to encourage Xi Jinping to press for peace in Ukraine.

Macron arrives in China to meet Xi Jinping; EU Chief to land soon

Emmanuel Macron arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit in which he hopes to dissuade Xi Jinping from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also developing European trade ties with Beijing. “China is the only country in the world capable of having an immediate and radical impact on the conflict, in one direction or the other,” an official from the French president’s office said of the war in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron on a 3-day China visit, on mission to help end Ukraine war

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