Macron Seeks Xi’s Help on Ukraine During Beijing Visit

French President Emmanuel Macron sought Chinese President Xi Jinping’s help brokering peace between Moscow and Kyiv during a visit to Beijing this week.

The Details: Macron visited China alongside President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday. Macron, who has been one of the few European leaders to remain in contact with Zelenskyy, Putin, and Xi, was warmly welcomed by Xi who promoted friendship between China and France. Macron said told Xi he was counting on him “to bring Russia to its senses and bring everyone back to the negotiating table.” Von der Leyen said Xi expressed willingness to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding Ukraine.

For Context: In February, China proposed a 12-point peace plan that many Western voices have rejected as being too favorable for Russia. Some Western media even suggested the proposal was a framework for China’s stance towards Taiwan. Von der Leyen, who is more hawkish towards China, received a cooler reception than Macron, especially when bringing up Taiwan, to which Xi said expecting a Chinese compromise on would be “wishful thinking.”

How The Media Covered It: The story was covered more by Left and Center-rated outlets. Across the spectrum, outlets highlighted Xi’s reluctance to go too in-depth on Ukraine during the talks. New York Times and Politico (Lean left) were more critical of the lack of progress made on Ukraine during Macron’s visit.