China’s President Xi Jinping arrived on the French presidential palace on Monday for a two-day state go to that’s anticipated to focus each on commerce disputes and diplomatic efforts to persuade Beijing to make use of its affect to maneuver Russia towards ending the conflict in Ukraine.
In Paris, Xi first joined a gathering with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen meant to handle broader EU issues. Macron mentioned in his introductory remarks the assembly would first tackle commerce points and the way to make sure “honest competitors,” then the wars in Ukraine and the Center East.
“We’re at a turning level in our historical past” because the Europe-China relationship is confronted with challenges, Macron mentioned.
The talks are aimed toward sharing “each our shared positions and our issues, to attempt to overcome them, as a result of the way forward for our continent will very clearly additionally rely on our capability to develop balanced relations with China,” he mentioned.
Macron, a robust advocate of Europe’s financial sovereignty, needs to lift French issues a couple of Chinese language antidumping investigation into cognac and different European brandy, and tensions over French cosmetics and different sectors.
In a latest speech, he denounced commerce practices of each China and the USA as shoring up protections and subsidies.
Initially of the assembly in Paris, Xi mentioned “the world right this moment has entered a brand new interval of turbulence and alter.”
“As two necessary forces on the planet, China and Europe ought to … constantly make new contributions to world peace and improvement,” he mentioned.
The EU launched an investigation final fall into Chinese language subsidies and will impose tariffs on electrical automobiles exported from China.
“The European Union and China need good relations,” von der Leyen mentioned. “We now have a considerable EU-China financial relationship. … However this relationship can also be challenged, for instance, by means of state-induced overcapacity, unequal market entry and overdependencies.”
Paris is the primary cease on Xi’s European journey, searching for to rebuild relations at a time of world tensions. After France on Monday and Tuesday, he’ll head to Serbia and Hungary.
France hopes the discussions will assist persuade China to make use of its leverage with Moscow to ‘’contribute to a decision of the battle” in Ukraine, based on a French presidential official. Russian President Vladimir Putin lately introduced plans to go to China this month.
Macron will press Xi over provides from Chinese language firms supporting the Russian conflict effort regardless of EU sanctions, he mentioned. China claims neutrality within the Ukraine battle. France additionally needs China to take care of a dialogue with Kyiv, added the official, who was not licensed to be recognized based on presidential coverage.
Final 12 months, Macron appealed to Xi to “carry Russia to its senses,” however the name was not adopted by any obvious motion by Beijing.
“French authorities are pursuing two aims which might be finally contradictory,” mentioned Marc Julienne, director of the Heart for Asian Research on the French Institute of Worldwide Relations. “On the one hand, to persuade Xi that it’s in his curiosity to assist Europeans to place stress on Vladimir Putin to finish the conflict and, then again, to dissuade the Chinese language president from delivering arms to his Russian good friend.”
“In brief, we expect that Xi might help us, however on the identical time we concern that he might assist Putin,” Julienne wrote.
As France prepares to host the Summer time Olympics, Macron mentioned he would ask Xi to make use of his affect to make the Video games “a diplomatic second of peace.”
The discussions will even be carefully watched from Washington, a month earlier than President Joe Biden is predicted to pay his personal state go to to France.
Xi’s go to marks the sixtieth anniversary of France-China diplomatic relations, and follows Macron’s journey to China in April 2023. Macron prompted controversy on that journey after he mentioned France wouldn’t blindly observe the U.S. in getting concerned in crises that aren’t its concern, apparently referring to China’s calls for for unification with Taiwan.
A number of teams — together with Worldwide Marketing campaign for Tibet and France’s Human Rights League — urged Macron to place human rights points on the coronary heart of his talks with Xi. Protesters demonstrated in Paris as Xi arrived on Sunday, calling for a free Tibet.
Amnesty Worldwide referred to as on Macron to demand the discharge of Uyghur economics professor Ilham Tohti, who was jailed in China for all times in 2014 on fees of selling separatism, and different imprisoned activists.
On Monday morning, media watchdog Reporters With out Borders staged a protest in entrance of the Arc de Triomphe monument to denounce Xi’s go to, calling the Chinese language president “one of many best predators of press freedom.” The group says 119 journalists are imprisoned within the nation.
Macron mentioned in an interview printed Sunday that he’ll elevate human rights issues.
Afterward Monday, a proper ceremony is to happen on the Invalides monument earlier than bilateral talks on the Elysee presidential palace. Macron and Xi will conclude a close-by French-Chinese language financial discussion board after which be a part of their wives for a state dinner.
The second day of the go to is supposed to be a extra private second.
Macron has invited Xi to go to the Tourmalet Cross within the Pyrenees mountains on Tuesday, the place the French chief hung out as a baby to see his grandmother. The journey is supposed to be a reciprocal gesture after Xi took Macron final 12 months to the residence of the governor of Guangdong province, the place his father as soon as lived.
