BEIJING: French President Emmanuel Macron told Xi Jinping that France and China must overcome their “differences”, as the two leaders met in Beijing on Thursday.
“Sometimes there are differences, but it is our responsibility to overcome them for the greater good,” Macron told Xi during the meeting.
The Chinese leader echoed Macron, calling for “more stable” ties with France during their talks at the Great Hall of the People.
‘More stable’
Xi said China was willing to work with France “to exclude any interference” and “make the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France more stable”.
Macron and his wife Brigitte were given a grand welcome by Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan to the Great Hall of the People, where the ceremony was moved indoors due to cold weather.
Macron blew kisses to children who held flowers, while a band played the national anthems of both countries.
Top of Macron's agenda during his three-day visit to China is the issue of Ukraine and the role Beijing could play in securing a ceasefire.
Rebalancing trade ties
"We must continue to work towards peace and stability in the world, and in Ukraine and other regions affected by war," Macron told Xi, adding: "Our capacity to work together is decisive."
The French president also called for rebalancing trade ties, and urged Xi to work with G7 countries for rules-based economic governance.
Pressure on Ukraine
Macron, visiting China for the fourth time since taking office in 2017, is also expected to meet with Premier Li Qiang before travelling to Chengdu, where two giant pandas loaned to France were recently returned.
Macron has sought to pressure Xi to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, as the war with Russia drags into a fourth winter.
Macron's three-day visit to Beijing follows a trip to Paris by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged Europe to stand by Kyiv as US President Donald Trump pushes a plan to end the war.
"We share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end," Zelensky wrote on social media after Monday's talks with Macron, which also included phone calls with other European leaders.
Over $350B trade deficit
Macron is also due to discuss trade with his Chinese hosts, with the European Union facing a massive trade deficit of $357 billion with the Asian powerhouse.
"It is necessary for China to consume more and export less... and for Europeans to save less and produce more," an adviser to Macron said.
Macron has previously called for the European Union to reduce its dependence on China and for a “European preference” in the tech sector.
Last month, he told a European summit of tech leaders and ministers from across the continent that the bloc does not want to be a “vassal” to US and Chinese tech companies.
The French president will stay in China until Friday, with a final stop in Chengdu in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
‘Quite exceptional’
Last week, two giant pandas loaned to France by China were flown to their ancestral home to retire at an animal sanctuary in the city.
The Chinese embassy promised new bears would soon be dispatched to make up for the popular pair leaving.
The Chengdu visit is “quite exceptional in Chinese protocol”, the French presidency said, adding it was “appreciated as such” by Macron.
During his last trip to China, the French president was given a rock star welcome at a university in the southern city of Guangzhou, with students chanting his name and scrambling for selfies and high-fives.
