French leader Emmanuel Macron has urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to help stop Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses, and bring everyone back to the negotiating table,” he told Mr Xi in Beijing.
Mr Xi said their two countries had the “ability and responsibility” to safeguard world peace.
But the Kremlin said there were “no prospects for a peaceful settlement” so far and its offensive would continue.
Mr Macron is on a state visit to China that is being highly scrutinised after several years of deteriorating relations between the West and China, which has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Macron is also seeking to bolster trade ties. He is joined by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, whom he invited to take part in talks with the Chinese leadership, as well as a large business delegation.
On Thursday afternoon, Mr Macron was treated to an elaborate military parade in Beijing before entering closed-door talks with Mr Xi, which Chinese and French officials described as “frank” and “friendly.”
Speaking to the press afterwards, Mr Xi said, “China advocates for peace talks and seeks a political solution”, and called for “rational restraint” from the international community.
He also reiterated that nuclear weapons should not be used in the conflict.
Russia earlier this week said it plans to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, near the ally’s western border with NATO countries.
Mr Macron said “we can’t have a safe and stable Europe” as long as Ukraine remains occupied, and that it was “unacceptable” that a member of the UN Security Council had violated the organisation’s charter.
The French leader struck a cordial and, at times, warm tone in his speech, often turning to Mr Xi during the press conference and addressing him personally.
It stood in contrast to Mr Xi’s impassive delivery to the press.
The two men did not take questions, moving swiftly on to a three-way discussion with Ms von der Leyen.
Earlier in his trip, Mr Macron had told reporters there was growing concern over the “inescapable spiral of mounting tensions” between the West and China stoked by the war.
But “China’s interest isn’t to have a lasting war,” and Beijing could play a “major role” in ending it, he added.
China has released a 12-point plan for peace in Ukraine, amid a recent push to play a bigger role in international diplomacy, which saw Mr Xi visit Moscow for talks on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
The optics and timing of the trip undermined Chinese claims to neutrality in many people’s eyes.
While Western nations have been generally dismissive of the Chinese proposals, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has called for direct talks with Mr Xi who has yet to publicly respond.
On Thursday, Russia acknowledged that China has “a very effective and commanding potential for mediation.”
“But the situation with Ukraine is complex, and so far there are no prospects for a peaceful settlement,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that Russia had “no choice” but to continue with the war.
Mr Macron will continue having close dialogue with Mr Xi. He is being hosted at a state dinner on Thursday night, and on Friday the two will travel to the southern city of Guangzhou, where they will dine again privately.
The trip marks the most politically significant interaction Mr Xi has had with a Western leader since he met US President Joe Biden in November at the G20 summit in Bali.
With this visit, Mr Macron, who has been keen to burnish his credentials as an international peace broker, has now had personal contact with all the major players in the Ukraine conflict.
Observers believe he knows he is unlikely to come back from this China trip with any major diplomatic achievement to boast of.
The chances of Mr Xi changing his views on Russia and Ukraine in any significant way are, to say the least, small.
Mr Macron is likely to emphasise small advances, points in common, and the benefits of engagement through trade and talks.
He is said to believe that just because France is part of the Western alliance, and close to the US, it cannot deepen its relations with China which is allied with Russia.
Mr Macron’s trip saw several significant deals signed by French and Chinese corporations and cultural institutions, witnessed by him and Mr Xi.
He is travelling with a delegation comprising business leaders, artists, and museum officials.
They include top executives from plane manufacturer Airbus, luxury group LVMH, and nuclear energy producer EDF.
The trip to Beijing, four years after Mr Macron last paid a visit to Mr Xi, takes place during strikes and unrest in France over unpopular reforms of the pension system.
