Macron trip, hailed as success, still raises questions about EU-China relations

Name: French and EU leaders urge China to ‘bring Russia to its senses’ and stop invasion of Ukraine
Uploaded: 2023-04-09T10:00:11.000Z
Duration: 2 min 36 s
Description: French and EU leaders urge China to ‘bring Russia to its senses’ and stop invasion of Ukraine

Xi Jinping supports French president’s ambition for Europe’s strategic autonomy, but visit produces few diplomatic achievements

Emmanuel Macron’s failure to convince Xi to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine means little chance of improved China-EU ties, analysts say

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Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Guangdong province on Friday. Photo: AFP

Shi JiangtaoandKawala Xie

Published: 6:00pm, 9 Apr 2023Updated: 6:44pm, 9 Apr 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron has wrapped up his three-day state visit to China, marked by pomp, pageantry and lucrative deals, as both Beijing and Europe try to strike a new balance on how to manage their strained ties amid the Ukraine crisis.

Accompanied by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Macron has sought a non-confrontational approach to “de-risk” Europe’s relations with China, while Beijing has shown enthusiasm towards France’s strategic autonomy in the midst of the deepening US-China feud.

The visit has officially been hailed as a diplomatic success, but in the absence of concrete results regarding the Ukraine war and their economic and geopolitical rifts, most observers remain sceptical about the future of Brussels’ engagement with Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Macron – who last travelled to China in 2019, before the pandemic – giving the French leader extensive face time, including during a rare excursion to the southern city of Guangzhou on Friday.

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French and EU leaders urge China to ‘bring Russia to its senses’ and stop invasion of Ukraine

Analysts said Beijing’s special treatment of Macron underlined Xi’s high hopes for him. Macron has sought to position France as a “balancing power” between China and the US and carefully avoided pushing China too hard on Ukraine, Taiwan, or other issues deemed sensitive by Beijing.

China has appreciated and fully embraced the aspiration by Macron for Europe’s strategic autonomy, according to Cui Hongjian, director of European studies at the China Institute of International Studies, a think tank affiliated with the foreign ministry.