French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in China for 3-day visit

New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese state media said, beginning a three-day visit during which he will meet his counterpart Xi Jinping."French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Beijing to kick off his state visit to China from April 5 to 7," state broadcaster CGTN reported.The French president, who last year drew fire from Western allies for a call not to ‘humiliate’ Russia in the backdrop of its war with Ukraine, faces a delicate balancing act in Beijing.On Thursday, Macron will meet with the head of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji, and China’s new No. 2 leader, Premier Li Qiang, in addition to a meeting and a state dinner with Xi Jinping in the presence of von der Leyen.As per Politico, Macron and Xi are likely to hold talks for several hours.An adviser to Macron, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet, “You can count with one hand the number of world leaders who could have an in-depth discussion with Xi.”Macron is also expected to warn China against sending weapons to Russia and instead ask that the country use its influence to support peace efforts.“China is the only country in the world capable of having an immediate and radical impact on the conflict, in one direction or the other,” an official from Macron’s office told reporters Friday on condition of anonymity.Macron will look to stand firm towards President Xi Jinping on Ukraine while taking “another path” from the directly confrontational tone often heard from Washington, the official added.China has refused to criticize Russia for its actions in Ukraine. A top French official acknowledged that Paris isn’t expecting to see a major shift in that position.The Europeans won’t hold Xi back from arming Russia by “saying nicely what he shouldn’t do,” said Antoine Bondaz of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS).He predicted instead that the leaders would warn him off arms deliveries in public while dangling the threat of sanctions in their private talks.But France will push for initiatives helping ordinary Ukrainians and for possible avenues toward reaching a halfway solution to the war, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with the French presidency’s customary practices.Paris and Beijing may find a point of convergence following Putin’s recent announcement that his country plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. China, without naming Russia, made clear its opposition to the planned deployment.Macron will also seek to involve China deeper in global discussions on climate-related issues, as things are getting more complicated for him at home.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram