China backs Macron call for global Olympic truce [Video]

PARIS –

China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday called for a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after the French president and the head of the European Commission urged him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the Chinese leader for his first visit to Europe in five years and held talks with him and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paris as they sought to show a united front on issues ranging from trade to Ukraine.

China has strengthened trade and military ties with Russia in recent years as the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on both countries, especially on Moscow since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

China-Russian trade hit a record of US$240.1 billion in 2023, up 26.3 per cent from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows. Chinese shipments to Russia jumped 46.9 per cent in …