Bulgaria Won’t Send Weapons to Ukraine
AntiWarDec 23, 2021
The Facts
French Pres. Emmanuel Macron arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day visit that will see him meet with Pres. Xi Jinping to discuss trade, diplomatic ties, and the war in Ukraine.
With Macron and other European leaders reportedly concerned that China could cross the West's redline by providing weapons on a large scale to Moscow, the French president is focused on urging Xi to limit support for Russia.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Not only will this meeting play a pivotal part in Sino-EU relations, but it could also play an important role in resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The French see Beijing as potentially one of the few countries able to have a game-changer effect in the conflict due to its ties with Russia, and Macron's visit is an opportunity to explore this.
Establishment-critical narrative
Macron's visit comes weeks after China released a 12-point "peace" plan to try to pause the fighting in Ukraine. The proposal — nothing more than a victory roll for Russia — clearly contradicts Beijing's so-called neutral stance, which won't be dissuaded by France's "diplomacy of balance." It's hard to take Macron very seriously when he tries to play tough with the Chinese and be diplomatic at the same time.
Metaculus Prediction
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