Sawt Falasteen - Macron urges China to push for peace, rebalance trade

For Macron, making his fourth visit to China while in office, the three-day trip is an opportunity to shore up support for a ceasefire in Europe's deadliest conflict since WWII, as well as to attract more Chinese investment in France.

China -- a major Russian trading partner -- has said it takes a neutral stance on the war, refraining from condemning Moscow's invasion.

On Thursday, Xi reiterated his support for an end to the hostilities, telling Macron that "China supports all efforts committed to peace and hopes that all parties will reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement that is acceptable to all parties".

Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan gave Macron and his wife Brigitte a grand, red-carpet welcome to the Chinese capital, complete with an honour guard and row of flag-waving children.

All smiles as he entered the cavernous Great Hall of the People, Macron blew kisses to the crowd while a band played the national anthems of both countries.

After the ceremony, Macron told Xi that France and China must overcome their "differences".

The Chinese leader echoed Macron, calling for "more stable" ties.

Their tete-a-tete comes amid fresh attempts to broker an end to the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, with Macron leading a push to counter a US-backed plan widely criticised for echoing Russia's demands.

"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."

"I hope that China will join our call and our efforts to achieve, as soon as possible, at least a ceasefire in the form of a moratorium on strikes targeting critical infrastructure," he said.

Macron, who will host the G7 summit next year, also urged Beijing to work with the grouping for "more balanced, fairer" rules-based economic governance.

- Pressure on Ukraine -

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 Washington 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.

China regularly calls for peace talks and respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, but has never condemned Russia for its 2022 invasion.

Western governments accuse Beijing of providing Russia with crucial economic support for its war effort, notably by supplying it with military components for its defence industry.

The French presidency said Macron would tell Xi that China must "refrain from providing any means, by any means, to Russia to continue the war".

- The French 'love pandas' -

Macron is also discussing 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.

Macron is also expected to meet with Premier Li Qiang before travelling to Chengdu, where two giant pandas loaned to France were recently returned.

The Chinese embassy promised new bears would soon be dispatched to make up for the popular pair leaving.

Xi on Thursday said that China and France agreed to a new deal on panda protection.

"The French people love giant pandas," Xi said. "On the basis of the previous cooperation, both sides will carry out a new round of cooperation in giant panda protection."

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.

O.Mousa--SF-PST