PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday agreed it was urgent to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine and reaffirmed their position on preventing the use of nuclear arms there, the French Presidency said.
“The two heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and agreed it was urgent to de-escalate (the conflict),” the Elysee Palace statement said after the two leaders met at the G20 summit in Bali.
Xi said that China and France should deepen cooperation and promote progress in traditional areas, but should also respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, Chinese state media reported.
China also hoped France can provide a fairer, more just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies in France, Xi told Macron.
Close cooperation between France and China was key to overcome the consequences of the war in Ukraine, Macron said earlier on Twitter.
“Ending escalation and facing the consequences of the war in Ukraine, supporting the most vulnerable economies, decarbonising our economies and acting to protect bio-diversity: France and China are determined,” Macron wrote.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Richard Lough)
