Differences over the war in Ukraine and trade tensions between China and the European Union dominate the state visit this Monday and Tuesday to France by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The host, Emmanuel Macron, hopes to convince his guest to use his influence in Moscow to help resolve the conflict. Furthermore, Europeans are putting pressure on the leading trading power to “play fair” and prevent, with its massive exports of electric vehicles and other products, the “deindustrialization” of Europe from accelerating.
“A China that plays fair is good for everything,” declared the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who participated on Monday alongside Macron in the first of the meetings with Xi. “At the same time, Europe will not hesitate to take tough decisions to protect its economy and security,” she added.
Xi, for his part, seeks to cultivate his relations with a European leader who promotes the so-called strategic autonomy, a concept that Beijing interprets as a desire to maintain a balanced position between his country and the rival power, the United States. In addition to France, the Chinese leader will visit Serbia and Hungary, the two European countries closest to Beijing’s orbit.
“As the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation, China and the EU, as two important forces in the world, must continue to consider each other as partners,” Xi claimed during the meeting with Macron and Von der Leyen. according to the trilateral interview note issued by Beijing. Furthermore, he has called for “deepening strategic mutual trust” between Brussels and Beijing, and “working for stable and solid growth in ties.”
Von der Leyen was more explicit when leaving the meeting and denounced, in a statement without questions, that China “is flooding the European market” with “subsidized products” that do not find an outlet in its internal market. “I have encouraged the Chinese government to address this overcapacity,” she said. She also insisted that Beijing avoid “market distorting practices” that can cause “deindustrialization” of the European Union.
“The so-called ‘China’s overcapacity problem’ does not exist either from the perspective of comparative advantage or in light of global demand,” Xi denied at the meeting. “China-EU cooperation is, in essence, complementary and mutually beneficial.”
The first day will conclude with a state dinner at the Elysée, a less showy and significant space than the palace of Versailles, which hosted the state dinner in honor of King Charles III of England in September. Macron and Xi will travel on Tuesday, accompanied by his wife, to the Pyrenees and the port of Tourmalet, a picturesque landscape with cyclist resonances near the town where the French president’s grandmother lived and where he spent time as a child. It is a more intimate setting, where a “frank and friendly dialogue” can be encouraged, according to an Elysée source.
The Chinese leader intends to convince the EU – with France at the helm – to reverse its “risk reduction” policy, which could limit the Asian giant’s exports to the community bloc, especially in sectors linked to the transition. green, in which China has become a world leader.
Xi has proposed “deepening cooperation in innovation and jointly promoting ecological development,” according to an article published on Sunday by the Asian president in Le Figaro. And he has shown himself open to investments in the sector in this country: “Some Chinese companies have installed battery factories in France. The Chinese Government supports more Chinese companies investing in France. And we expect France to ensure that they operate in a fair and equitable business environment.”
Ukraine, key issue
The face to face with Macron will be the first opportunity to convey to him, from European soil, the vision of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The issue will be key, given the closeness between the Chinese and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, who plans to visit Beijing in May.
“China understands the repercussions of the Ukrainian crisis on the European population,” Xi says in the aforementioned article. In it, she defends China’s “constructive” role in what she calls “crisis”, but not “war”, a term to which Beijing has never bowed, just as it has not condemned the invasion. “The longer the Ukrainian crisis continues, the more damage it will cause to Europe and the world,” Xi continued. “We are willing to work with France and the entire international community to find a reasonable solution to the crisis.”
In her statement, Von der Leyen said: “We are counting on China to use all its influence over Russia to end the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.” And he explained that in the meeting with Xi and Macron “the Chinese commitment not to provide any lethal equipment to Russia” was addressed.
The invitation issued by the Elysée is part of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between both countries, and responds to Macron’s state visit to China a year ago. The president of the European Commission already accompanied the Frenchman on his visit to China in 2023. Macron has always wanted to give a European dimension to France’s relationship with Beijing.