Chinese President Xi Jinping has not been in Europe since the coronavirus pandemic. Now he has chosen three countries for his six-day visit – he starts in France, the next stops will be Serbia and Hungary, which most EU states accuse of pro-Russian attitudes.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was also present at the Elysee Palace, where the Chinese ruler was welcomed by President Emmanuel Macron. She said shortly before the meeting that excessive supplies of Chinese subsidized products, such as electric cars or steel, “lead to unfair trade.”
“Europe cannot accept these market-distorting practices that could lead to its deindustrialization,” von der Leyen was quoted as saying by The Financial Times.
Although the opening words were diplomatic and Macron talked about the need for dialogue, it can be expected that after the cameras leave the room, it will not be a pleasant dialogue.
The head of the Commission’s conviction about unfair Chinese practices is also shared by the French host, who will also defend the producer of the famous cognac – they are facing proceedings in China precisely because of unfair state support. And for cognac, the Chinese market is key – it is the second largest consumer of the drink in the world.
Last year, sales of cognac already recorded a significant decline, which Paris would like to stop. According to the newspaper Charente Libre, 72,500 people work in the sector.
China is not neutral in the war in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine will probably be an even more explosive topic of discussion, as the West repeatedly accuses China of supplying technology and equipment to Vladimir Putin’s regime.
In a recent interview with Politico, US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith emphasized Beijing’s support for Moscow, saying China can no longer claim to be neutral in the conflict.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described China’s assistance as “helping Moscow cause death and destruction in Ukraine.”
China and the Uighurs in foreign exile
Chinese authorities oppress Uighurs even in foreign exile. To get them to cooperate, the Beijing regime threatens to punish family members who remain in China. Their stories were described by the British BBC.
After all, Si does not hide his friendly relationship with Putin, he has even repeatedly called him his best friend. At the same time, in recent months, Macron has been among the European hawks in relation to the war in Ukraine – he has already talked about sending ground troops to Ukraine several times. Even at the beginning of the war, it was different, and Macron repeatedly spoke to Putin on the phone, trying to get him to end the aggression.
Now a somewhat similar scenario is repeating itself with Xi Jinping. On the one hand, France criticizes him – for example, the leader of Macron’s movement in the European Parliament elections, Valérie Heyerová, called China’s policy towards the Uyghurs “probably genocide”.
But Macron is still betting on negotiations and presents himself as China’s privileged partner within the European Union. As the Journal du Dimanche writes, when negotiating with China, Macron also uses the worsening of relations between Beijing and Washington.
Russia resists sanctions with China’s help
The twofold attitude also provokes criticism in France. “You can discuss with everyone, but not in this way,” condemned the friendly visit of Xi Jinping, the opposition leader and politician with the fastest growing popularity in the country Raphaël Glücksmann. “He is not our friend, he is the main supporter of Putin’s war in Ukraine,” he said of the Chinese president.
According to him, Macron is making the same mistake he made with Vladimir Putin. “If Russia is resisting our sanctions, it is thanks to China’s help,” he recalled on the X network.
Macron as a boxer
The French president had his picture taken with boxing gloves and suspiciously large biceps:
Macron’s former foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, countered that Xi is “neither a friend nor an enemy” and that the president is “not naive”. According to him, it is necessary to speak “hard and clear” with the Chinese head of state about TikTok, the Uyghurs or Hong Kong.
The human rights organizations Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International then reminded Macron of China’s unacceptable behavior towards its citizens. “As 2024 marks sixty years of diplomatic relations between France and China, any strengthening of ties with that country must allow for commitments from the Chinese authorities to end the massive human rights violations documented by our organization,” Amnesty said in a statement.
