“China looks forward to working with France through this visit to further strengthen political mutual trust, solidarity and cooperation, and jointly enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.” [and] It will give impetus to healthy and stable China-EU relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.
I don’t know yet if it will work. Over the past five years, few countries have epitomized the mysterious trinity of “partner, competitor, rival” more than France and Macron.
“He is neither pro-American nor anti-American. Mr. Macron wants to deepen our own interests, and he is pro-European,” said Marie-Pierre Vedrennes, a close ally of Mr. Macron in the European Parliament. Ta.
A senior Indian diplomat enthusiastically described Mr Macron as the “ultimate hedgehog” against China.
“We Indians think we hedge well, but the French are the masters,” the diplomat said, adding that a confrontation between the US and China would be a wise move for France and Europe. .
Macron’s approach to China often appears inconsistent. Critics accuse him of being soft on Beijing, while Chinese officials condemn the actions of the European Union, of which he is a major supporter.
Macron, who was the main sponsor of a study launched by Brussels last year into domestic electric vehicle subsidies, is also keen for Chinese companies to build EV factories in France.
“We want China to invest in this sector on French soil so that we can create jobs and do to some extent what French companies themselves are doing in China. That is our call.” said a senior French official involved in planning Xi’s visit.
Last week, as Macron prepared to roll out the carpet for Xi’s visit, he met Sikyong Pengpa Tsering, the leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, in Paris.
‘A tragedy, a shame’: Why some criticize the German leader’s visit to China
‘A tragedy, a shame’: Why some criticize the German leader’s visit to China
President Macron also opposes copying the United States’ China policy.
He is the main proponent of the concept of European strategic autonomy and the chief cheerleader for the EU as the third pole in a multipolar world, along with the United States and China.
In a high-profile speech at the Sorbonne University last week, he emphasized his vision of an economically and defensively strong Europe and urged the continent not to become a strategic vassal state of the United States.
Meanwhile, Macron caused controversy during a visit to Beijing last year when he said Europe should not “blindly” follow the United States on Taiwan.
Mr. Macron’s distrust of the United States, deepened by the dispute over submarines stemming from the trilateral agreement between Britain, the United States, and Australia known as the Oaks, remains open, insiders say. .
But he is also one of the strongest supporters of a number of trade and competition measures that have confounded Beijing in recent weeks, and the French official said Mr Macron would explain them to Mr Xi next week. It’s planned.
China expects France to promote ‘realistic’ EU policy towards China
China expects France to promote ‘realistic’ EU policy towards China
During two days of talks from the French capital to the Pyrenees mountains on the border with Spain, President Macron will try to convince his Chinese counterpart that the EU’s increasingly radical approach is not an anti-China movement but a natural outcome of the EU. Dew. European countries have strengthened their defenses, and Beijing has not adjusted its economic model despite long-standing requests from European countries.
Macron took the Chinese leader to Pic du Midi, atop the Pyrenees, where he spent many childhood holidays with his grandmother. This is seen by the Elysée newspaper as a “mirror” of Macron’s visit to China last year. On that occasion, Mr. Xi took Mr. Macron to the southern province of Guangdong, where his father was governor during the Deng Xiaoping era.
In the mountains, the French leader may hope that building a personal relationship with Mr. Xi will help persuade him to block Chinese companies from shipping dual-use products to Russia. French authorities have noticed an “intensification” of the practice in recent months.
“The purpose of the talks is to share the French president’s analysis of the developments in the conflict and convey Ukraine’s position,” the French official said, adding that after Macron’s visit to Beijing last year, Xi He pointed out that he had the following meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky. phone.
The two leaders will discuss areas of cooperation including biodiversity, climate change and hundreds of cultural exchange activities planned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations.
“We are working on a constructive, forward-looking and effective agenda aimed at strengthening the protection of our land and marine areas,” French officials said.
EU and US explore trade and technology ties that could survive President Trump’s return
EU and US explore trade and technology ties that could survive President Trump’s return
But they will also discuss thorny issues such as trade and overcapacity. Macron wants French companies to succeed in the Chinese market, but he has also helped create a tougher environment for Chinese companies in Europe.
He will try to dissuade Mr. Xi from retaliating over the EV investigation, which would likely result in import tariffs on Chinese-made cars, by taking similar action on French cognac. President Macron will also push for greater access for French agricultural products to the Chinese market.
Some observers say French leaders are playing a double game on these issues. French diplomats like to joke that Brussels is “becoming more French” with talk of increased trade protection and debt pooling to pay for European armies.
They point to EU commissioner Thierry Breton, who is seen as a hardliner hand-picked by Macron on a range of issues that have sparked conflict with Beijing.
Last month, Mr. Breton took to social media to express his gratitude for the Chinese railway company’s decision to abandon providing trains to the Bulgarian project following a subsidy investigation. He has also been instrumental in restricting Chinese companies such as Huawei and TikTok from accessing the European market.
“Mr. Breton is Macron’s gunman,” said Julien Hoez, a Brussels-based geopolitical consultant and longtime member of Mr. Macron’s Renaissance party.
“Mr. Breton is there to say something difficult and then make Mr. Macron say something diplomatic.”
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Why are the EU and US concerned about China’s overcapacity?
Why are the EU and US concerned about China’s overcapacity?
From China’s perspective, the visit is an important opportunity to shake up one of the EU’s most powerful member states.
The Chinese government has long believed that the real power in Europe lies in Paris and Berlin. Sources said in 2018 that Nicolas Chapuis, the then-EU ambassador to China, had “no connection” with China’s foreign ministry during his first meeting with the EU, and that if officials needed anything, he would send them to France or Germany. He was told that he would be called. With the encounter.
Chinese Ambassador Lu said that President Xi Jinping urged France to “adhere to strategic independence and open cooperation” and urged Europe to “form a more independent, objective and friendly understanding of China, and end anti-China relations.” He urged people to “resist.”
The scope for cooperation is shrinking in other parts of Europe, and there is likely to be enough positive results from France. In his interview, Mr. Lu detailed the depth of cultural exchanges being held to commemorate the Diplomatic Day, including exhibitions, concerts, and sporting events.
Lu also said France and China should “accelerate cooperation” in a wide range of areas from artificial intelligence to green manufacturing. He added that the two countries will deepen collaboration in the field of science and technology.
China-EU relations: Beijing sees opportunity if the presidency goes to Hungary
China-EU relations: Beijing sees opportunity if the presidency goes to Hungary
Sherpas are working to prepare an agenda for Xi’s visit that is based on cooperation without avoiding thorny issues. But the two nights in France could be the most difficult of the three destinations, as the Chinese leader will then head to outwardly friendly Serbia and Hungary.
The choreography for the visit will be “classic Mr. Macron,” according to many French officials, with personal touches from Mr. Xi to Russia’s Vladimir Putin to former U.S. President Donald Trump. I have long believed in using it to extract concessions from leaders.
For example, Mr. Macron is said to be not worried about Mr. Trump’s possible return to the White House. Asked by aides whether the Elysée Palace should begin preparing for the worst, Mr. Macron said he already knew Trump personally, people familiar with the discussions said. , he said that there was no need to do so.
However, it is unclear whether this charm offensive will work for Mr. Xi.
At the 2022 G20 summit to be held in Bali, the leaders of Brazil, China and India, excluding Russia, gathered for a photo at the BRICS meeting. Mr Macron noticed this and approached him and asked if he could join. However, when the organizers consulted Mr. Xi, the request was rejected, according to a diplomat familiar with the incident.
“I believe that Mr. Macron is close to Mr. Xi on a personal level, but he believes it is impossible to connect on economics or geopolitics,” the diplomat said.
