French president thanks Chinese leader for his promise not to sell arms to Russia
French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Paris and thanked the latter for his commitment to "refrain from selling any weapons" to Russia or aiding their war against Ukraine.
Source: Macron at a joint press conference in Paris on 6 May, European Pravda citing Le Figaro
Details: Macron said that France "respects the long-standing ties between China and Russia".
"Given this difficult history, we welcome the commitment of the Chinese authorities to refrain from selling any weapons or aid to Moscow and to strictly control the export of dual-use goods," he added.
The French president also noted that Paris is committed to "maintaining a close dialogue" with China, and that Xi Jinping's visit is an opportunity to ensure that Beijing does not explicitly support Russia's military efforts.
Macron also welcomed his Chinese counterpart's willingness to "ask all parties involved" in various conflicts to "declare an Olympic truce" during the Paris Games this summer.
Background:
- Xi Jinping arrived in France on the afternoon of 5 May, beginning his several-day tour of European countries. He will stay in France on Monday and Tuesday, after which he will travel to Serbia and Hungary. This is his first visit to Europe since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
- It was reported that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may pay a visit to China in May.
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