French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday and stated that China could play a “key role” in peace talks in Ukraine, RFI reported.
We are convinced that there will be no lasting peace if it is not negotiated with the Ukrainians. There will be no security for Europeans if there is no peace in accordance with international law.
Séjourné added that China could play a “key role” in enforcing international law, as many Western countries asked China to take a more active part in resolving the conflict.
The trip marked the second visit by a French foreign minister to China in less than six months after his predecessor Catherine Colona had travelled there in November. Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit France and Italy in May.
France’s attempts to improve relations came amid the European Union’s desire to distance itself from overdependence on China. However, Séjourné reiterated that “decoupling,” a term that described the goal of some politicians in the US to sever trade ties and isolate China, was not on the agenda.
Séjourné stated that “economic rebalancing” was needed to ensure “healthy and sustainable” trade. Wang, for his part, noted that he appreciated France’s refusal of the decoupling concept.
It is not possible to decouple from China, and decoupling from China is the biggest risk. China is an opportunity and not a risk for Europe. Both sides are partners and not rivals.
