BEIJING, CHINA – France’s top diplomat called on Friday in Beijing to be vigilant against China, which directly or indirectly supports Russia in its war against Ukraine, as she concluded her visit to the Chinese capital.

Catherine Colonna met Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday as part of a visit that Paris said would focus on deepening exchanges between the two countries but would also be dominated by current events, particularly the Israel-Hamas war and the conflict in Ukraine would.

“We obviously want to have an intensive dialogue with China on global issues, but also on major crises,” Colonna said at a news conference in Beijing after meeting Wang.

She said France was “relying on the vigilance” of Chinese authorities to ensure that nothing in China “contributes directly or indirectly to Russia’s illegal war effort.”

China refuses to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has deepened its economic, diplomatic and military cooperation with Moscow since the war began in February 2022.

The United States said it knew Chinese companies had supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called on Beijing to “take tough action.”

But Colonna said Friday she had “no doubt” about China’s “ability to spread the international community’s message … of full and genuine respect for the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.”

At a press conference alongside Colonna, Wang said China maintains “normal and friendly relations” with Russia and Iran, as well as many other countries.

“In handling international and regional affairs, China has always maintained an objective and impartial position, always upheld the basic norms of international relations, always resolved disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation, and insisted on maintaining world peace and stability,” he said.

NEED TO WORK TOGETHER
Colonna’s talks in Beijing came on the same day that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into force, with the militant group set to release an initial group of 13 hostages later on Friday and a total of 50 within four days.

“For us, all hostages must be released. All of them, not just 50,” Colonna said during a briefing with French journalists.

Around 240 people were kidnapped in Hamas’ cross-border attacks on Israel last month, with at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, killed, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel responded with a heavy air and ground offensive on Gaza, killing at least 15,000 people, including thousands of children, according to health authorities.

Beijing has sought to play a larger role in the Middle East this year, facilitating a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran and sending an envoy to the region to push for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Colonna held formal bilateral talks with Wang before their joint news conference in the evening.

In conversation with Wang, she welcomed the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as an “important step.”

“We must now work together on solutions, both at the humanitarian level and at the political level,” she said.

VISA OFFER
Colonna and Wang also held a bilateral dialogue at Peking University earlier in the day aimed at improving cooperation on everything from climate to education.

Beijing announced on Friday that French citizens would be among travelers from a number of countries granted visa-free entry to China for up to 15 days.

Citizens from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia will also be included in the program, which begins on December 1st.

To date, only citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan have been granted visa-free entry for stays of less than 15 days.

Colonna said she was “delighted” by the news.

“This is a strong announcement that will greatly facilitate mobility between our two countries,” she said.

“As the shadow of the epidemic has faded, we are pleased with the increase in mutual visits, contacts and exchanges between our two peoples,” Wang said.

France’s top diplomat was received by Prime Minister Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday morning and said China and France shared “global responsibilities” as permanent members of the Security Council.

The two must “strive to find answers to major challenges, particularly the challenges of climate, biodiversity and anything that can ease tensions in the world,” she said.

Li, in turn, noted a “positive trend of Sino-French cooperation on all fronts.”

“This close cooperation between China and France has also brought a lot of positive energy and brought greater certainty to today’s uncertain world,” he added.