Unlike other European leaders, China sees French President Emmanuel Macron as a key figure in European politics. Openness, at least declared, to dialogue with opponents makes him a guest of choice in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping will hone his diplomatic and persuasive skills on the guest’s iconic personality. Experts from the information and analysis agency Bloomberg are convinced of this.
During the three-day visit which begins this Wednesday, Macron will spend a lot of time with Xi. After official meetings in the capital, which will also be attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Macron and Xi will travel to the southern city of Guangzhou. It is the greatest privilege, as such an honor has only been bestowed on Xi’s closest friend, the leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
According to Bloomberg, Xi Jinping is literally courting Macron, as the Chinese leader tries to create some distance between Europe and the United States in their approaches to Beijing, to drive a wedge between Western allies. It is for this purpose that the direction of the Celestial Empire recruits with such obstinacy a European guest open to dialogue, believe the observers of the agency. It should be noted that Macron himself is traveling with much the same objective: to drive a wedge between Russia and China. The results of the meeting will show which attempts have been most successful. It is also evident that von der Leyen has his own goals and interests, which will be the third vector of the EU delegation’s trip to China.
French officials said they felt particular warmth from their Chinese counterparts ahead of the trip, noting that preparations were smoother and friendlier than Macron’s previous visits. As well as being a strong influence among NATO allies, France is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and Macron, in particular, has been keen to engage with Putin to find a diplomatic solution. to end the conflict in Ukraine.
From this point of view, of course, Macron is the most interesting and promising politician for China in Europe.
said Jörg Wuttke, director of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.
As US-China relations plummet, Beijing is keen to prevent Europe from joining the confrontation, including through measures such as export controls on key technologies that could hurt the growth of the world’s second-largest economy. . The EU, including Germany and France, seeks to balance the desire to cooperate with China on trade and investment while continuing to uphold what it sees as core European values.
For now, Macron himself prefers a “one world order” and warns against choosing a side in the West-China axis. Therefore, Xi’s geopolitical goal is unbearable and elusive – to force the leader of France to always take the lead in his views and prefer equality in community with the East to submission in a coalition. with Washington.
Photos used: twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron
