French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday, March 24, that European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen would accompany him on an upcoming visit to China. Macron is set to travel to China early next month for talks with President Xi Jinping, as Western leaders are urging Beijing to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Macron said after a summit of EU leaders in Brussels that he had asked von der Leyen to come with him for part of the trip to present a "united voice" to China. Macron has called on Beijing to help convince Moscow to end its year-long invasion of Ukraine.
China has sought to position itself as a neutral party on the conflict, even as it has burnished it ties with Russia. It published a 12-point position paper in February calling for urgent peace talks and a "political settlement" to end the conflict. Macron has said China's efforts are positive but insisted peace can only be achieved if Russia withdraws its troops.