The European Union demands a fair and balanced trade relationship from China, in addition to asking it again not to help Russia in its aggression against Ukraine. These are the two main messages from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his counterpart from the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, in their meeting this Monday at the Elysee.
Xi’s visit to France is his first to Europe in five years, before the pandemic. The Chinese leader, who will later travel to Serbia and Hungary, receives the highest protocol honors from Macron. The official reception ceremony took place on the esplanade of Les Invalides, one of the most solemn settings of republican pomp, and in the evening the guests – Xi is traveling accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan – will be offered a state dinner in the Elysée.
One of the reasons for Xi’s presence is to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and the People’s Republic of China. It was the time of General De Gaulle, whose policy of strategic autonomy led him to get ahead of the United States in normalizing ties with Mao’s China. Paris and Beijing continue to consider that their bilateral relationship should be pampered, since it is not in vain that both countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council and nuclear powers.
Both Macron and Von der Leyen have insisted in recent days that the trade relationship with China needs more balance. It is no coincidence that the official XI interviews began with a three-way meeting, seated at a round table. The absence of the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is noticeable, but he was recently in China.
Before arriving in Paris, the president of the Commission published a statement, in a stern tone, in which she noted that the EU “must act to ensure that competition is fair and not distorted.” “China currently manufactures, with massive subsidies, more than it sells due to its weak domestic demand,” Von der Leyen continued. “That leads to an oversupply of subsidized Chinese products, such as electric vehicles and steel, leading to unfair trade.” The President of the Commission stressed that “Europe cannot accept these practices that distort the market and could lead to deindustrialization in Europe.”
After participating in the three-way meeting, Von der Leyen said that the EU and France are counting on China to “use all its influence on Russia” to end the war in Ukraine.
In a forum published in the newspaper Le Figaro, Xi dedicated many diplomatic courtesies to the hosts, recalling that 150 years ago France participated in shipbuilding in China and in the creation of the Fujian Naval School. The Chinese leader expressed his willingness to open his country’s markets more to French and European products in general, with special mention to agricultural products and “quality cosmetics,” “to respond to the growing aspiration for a better life.” At the same time, Xi also advocated continuing the expansion of Chinese companies in Europe.
Regarding foreign policy, Xi underlined in the article the official Chinese line of respect for sovereignty and non-interference, and showed “understanding” for European concern regarding the Ukrainian crisis (without pronouncing the word war). Rejecting any hint of complicity with Moscow, the Chinese leader emphasized that Beijing “is not at the origin of this crisis and is neither a party nor a participant” in this conflict, reiterating his constructive willingness to reach “a peaceful settlement.”
To justify the Chinese attitude, Xi allowed himself to quote Confucius, from whom he recalled this phrase: “The wise man cultivates harmony in diversity and remains in the right center, without leaning to one side or the other. How brave is his steadfastness! And then he winked at France by stating that “we are two great countries linked by the spirit of independence.”
