Beijing, Mar 28: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot began a two-day visit to China on Thursday during which he is to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart on Ukraine and longstanding trade disputes between China and Europe.Barrot went into a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shortly before noon, to be followed by a news conference and luncheon. On Friday, he will travel to Shanghai for a series of meetings with local officials and business leaders.
France has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian invasion, while Beijing has backed Russia diplomatically and provided an economic lifeline by buying Russian natural resources. Barrot’s visit is an opportunity to gauge China’s attitude on Ukraine ahead of a major French-hosted meeting on a possible peacekeeping force for the country.