It’s the Economy (and More): Why Macron and von der Leyen are in China

With his voyage to China late last week, Pedro Sánchez prepared the ground for this week’s visit by Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen. The main shared objective of both trips is to prevent Beijing from increasing its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. To this end, Sánchez urged Xi Jinping to directly discuss peace negotiations with Kyiv and appealed to China’s professed commitment to the principle of territorial integrity. While Macron and von der Leyen plan to echo this sentiment, it is doubtful whether Europe’s diplomatic blitz can significantly move the needle of Xi’s calculus.

Read the full article from The Wilson Center.