The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a three-day visit from April 5th to 7th. The French president and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aim to present a "unified voice" to Beijing. The European Commission revealed that the president will meet Macron for a working lunch on Monday.
Eric Mamer, a spokesperson for the Commission, tweeted that von der Leyen and Macron will discuss issues including Russia's war on Ukraine, energy affairs, and preparations for their visit to China, including their joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Prior to her visit to China, von der Leyen provided an evaluation of Chinese policies, stating that China has become more repressive domestically and more hardline internationally, with a phase of security and control replacing the era of reform and openness, where companies in China are required to assist in government intelligence gathering operations. Macron previously stated in Brussels that "we must try as much as possible to engage China on our side to pressure Russia not to use chemical and nuclear weapons, to stop the conflict, return to the negotiating table, and respect international law, namely the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
