Macron in Guangzhou on Final Day of China Trip

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a joint meeting of the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 6, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a joint meeting of the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 6, 2023. (AFP)
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Macron in Guangzhou on Final Day of China Trip

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a joint meeting of the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 6, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a joint meeting of the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 6, 2023. (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron meets students and dines with Xi Jinping in the southern city of Guangzhou Friday, wrapping up a three-day state visit to China that has been dominated by discussions of how Beijing could mediate the Ukraine conflict.

The French president, who arrived in the capital on Wednesday, has said he is seeking to dissuade China from supporting Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

In talks with the Chinese leader on Thursday, he told Xi that "I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses and everyone to the negotiating table".

In remarks to the press following their meeting, Xi said he "stood ready to issue a joint call with France" for the resumption of "peace talks as soon as possible", according to Chinese state media Xinhua.

And, according to a French diplomat, Xi expressed a willingness to speak with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, but only when the time is right.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who is accompanying Macron on his visit, welcomed Xi's openness to speaking with Zelensky.

In contrast with the amicable Macron, von der Leyen has struck a more firm tone in her talks with Chinese officials this week.

On Thursday, she said she had her "deep concerns about the deterioration of the human rights situation in China" with officials, as well as warned Beijing that arms shipments to Russia would "significantly harm" relations.

Moscow, however, has poured cold water on prospects of Beijing's mediation of the war in Ukraine, insisting on Thursday it had "no choice" but to press on with its offensive.

"Undoubtedly, China has a very effective and commanding potential for mediation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"But the situation with Ukraine is complex, so far there are no prospects for a political settlement."

Beyond the war in Ukraine, Macron's visit has also been focused on firming up a crucial trade partnership.

The French leader is accompanied by more than 50 French business leaders, including top bosses of Airbus, EDF and Veolia.

Airbus announced Thursday it would open a second final assembly line in China that will double its production capacity in the country, with the framework for the deal signed by CEO Guillaume Faury in Beijing.

Asia has become a key market for both Airbus and its US rival Boeing, as demand for air travel climbs with an expanding middle class.

The French leader's trip to China also comes as he faces challenges at home, with mounting anger over controversial pension reforms seeing fresh clashes between radical protesters and police erupt in Paris on Thursday.

Macron Friday heads to the southern city of Guangzhou, where he will meet with local students at the city's Sun Yat-sen University.

He will then have an early dinner with Xi, before meetings with Chinese investors and a flight home.



Fires Rage 2 Days after Iran Port Blast Killed 40

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
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Fires Rage 2 Days after Iran Port Blast Killed 40

This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Firefighters in Iran battled raging fires on Monday at the country's largest commercial port, two days after a massive explosion killed at least 40 people, state TV reported.

The blast took place on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in Iran's south near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.

It killed at least 40 people and injured more than 1,000 others, officials said, after triggering smaller explosions and fires in nearby containers, said AFP.

Iran's state TV showed images of firefighters dousing the flames, and said the damage will be assessed after the fire is fully brought under control.

Thick, swirling plumes of smoke rose over the stacked containers at the site, the TV images showed.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion but the port's customs office said it likely resulted from a fire that broke out at the hazardous and chemical materials storage depot.

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei ordered a probe into the incident to determine if there were "any negligence or intent".

Smoke, then a fireball

CCTV images on social media showed the incident began gradually, with a small fire and orange-brown smoke before a fireball erupted.

The images appeared to show the small fire starting among a few containers stacked outside across from a warehouse. A small forklift truck drove past the smoking area and men walked nearby.

About one minute and eight seconds after the small fire and smoke were visible, a fireball erupted as vehicles passed nearby. Men ran for their lives.

President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday visited hospitals treating the wounded in the nearby city of Bandar Abbas.

Since the explosion, authorities have ordered all schools and offices in the area closed and urged residents to avoid going outside "until further notice" and to use protective masks.

The New York Times quoted a person with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, as saying that what exploded was sodium perchlorate -- a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.

Defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik later told state TV that "there has been no imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the area".

Russia dispatched specialists to help battle the blazes.

Authorities have declared Monday a national day of mourning, while three days of mourning began Sunday in Hormozgan province, where the port is located.

The blast occurred as Iranian and US delegations met in Oman for high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear program, with both sides reporting progress.

While Iranian authorities so far appear to be treating the blast as an accident, it also comes against the backdrop of years of shadow war with regional foe Israel.

According to the Washington Post, Israel launched a cyberattack targeting the Shahid Rajaee Port in 2020