China, France, Germany held virtual summit to improve ties, discuss the Ukraine crisis

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News March 9, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Leaders of China, France, and Germany held a virtual summit on March 8 to discuss China-EU relations and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

During the summit meeting, the three leaders agreed to support peaceful negotiation and diplomatic solutions to resolve one of the biggest crises in Europe.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a one-hour video conference, a week after the Chinese president held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to a statement by the German government spokesperson, “Chancellor Scholz, President Macron, and President Xi agreed to fully support all negotiations aimed at a diplomatic solution to the conflict.”

The German government spokesperson said, “The three heads of state and government spoke out in favor of humanitarian relief and access to the contested areas.” The foreign ministers of the three nations would hold close consultations to coordinate further efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the statement added.

Macron and Scholz expressed serious concerns over the situation in Ukraine and said that Europe is facing its worst crisis since World War II. Both leaders said that France and Germany support a negotiated solution to the crisis and giving peace a chance.

Chinese President Xi said that Beijing is “pained to see the flames of war reignited in Europe,” and described the ongoing situation in Ukraine as “worrying”.

*^{Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a video summit with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Beijing, China, March 8, 2022. (Image Credit: Xinhua)}*

The Chinese president expressed concerns over the negative impact of sanctions on global financial stability, transportation, energy supplies, and supply chains.

Xi Jinping highlighted that the top priority should be to prevent the situation from escalating any further and urged the leaders of France and Germany to make efforts to reduce the adverse impacts of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi stressed that China, France, and Germany should jointly support the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and called for “maximum restraint” in Ukraine.

During the meeting, Xi Jinping highlighted that China “maintains that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported.”

The leaders of Germany and France also thanked China for its initiative for the humanitarian situation and expressed willingness to strengthen coordination with China to prevent further escalation of the situation and promote peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The Chinese president also lauded France and Germany’s efforts for peace and assured that China will continue coordination with the EU countries, as well as with Russia and Ukraine, and work with the international community to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis.

*^{French President Emmanuel Macron attending a virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on March 8, 2022. (Image Credit: French presidency)}*

The European leaders said that the EU attaches importance to China’s positive role in global affairs and is willing to work closely with China to jointly address major global challenges such as public health and climate change.

The two leaders also expressed that the EU is willing to work with China to successfully hold the EU-China leaders’ meeting and push forward the development of France-China, Germany-China, and EU-China relations.

German Chancellor Scholz and French President Macron also congratulated Chinese President Xi on successfully hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The leaders of Germany, France, and China also held discussions on the Iranian nuclear issue.