{"id":5376,"date":"2023-03-31T17:31:57","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T17:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=5376"},"modified":"2023-03-31T17:51:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T17:51:59","slug":"macron-heads-to-china-amid-heavy-protests-in-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/brusselsindependent\/macron-heads-to-china-amid-heavy-protests-in-france\/2023\/03\/31\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Macron heads to China, amid heavy protests in France"},"content":{"rendered":"

PARIS<\/span> (Reuters)<\/span> –<\/span> French<\/span> President<\/span> Emmanuel<\/span> Macron<\/span> is<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> visit<\/span> China<\/span> next<\/span> week<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> rare<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> rising<\/span> superpower.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>French<\/span> leaders<\/span> are<\/span> trying<\/span> to<\/span> get<\/span> back<\/span> on<\/span> track<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> busy<\/span> diplomatic<\/span> schedule<\/span> after<\/span> their<\/span> decision<\/span> to<\/span> push<\/span> through<\/span> a<\/span> controversial<\/span> pension<\/span> bill<\/span> through<\/span> parliament<\/span> earlier<\/span> this<\/span> month<\/span> sparked<\/span> clashes<\/span> and<\/span> violence<\/span> in<\/span> French<\/span> cities.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> chaotic<\/span> scenes<\/span> of<\/span> burning<\/span> garbage<\/span> in<\/span> Paris<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> televised<\/span> around<\/span> the<\/span> world,<\/span> forcing<\/span> President<\/span> Macron<\/span> to<\/span> cancel<\/span> the<\/span> official<\/span> visit<\/span> of<\/span> Britain’s<\/span> King<\/span> Charles.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Protests<\/span> that<\/span> would<\/span> see<\/span> trade<\/span> unions<\/span> launch<\/span> their<\/span> 11th<\/span> nationwide<\/span> strike<\/span> during<\/span> President<\/span> Macron’s<\/span> tenure<\/span> in<\/span> Beijing<\/span> have<\/span> seen<\/span> the<\/span> French<\/span> president<\/span> regain<\/span> initiative<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> and<\/span> play<\/span> a<\/span> leadership<\/span> role<\/span> in<\/span> Europe.<\/span>\u00a0
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>This<\/span> has<\/span> not<\/span> gone<\/span> unnoticed<\/span> by<\/span> Chinese<\/span> observers.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“The<\/span> protests<\/span> bring<\/span> a<\/span> large<\/span> amount<\/span> of<\/span> risk<\/span> and<\/span> France<\/span> needs<\/span> a<\/span> diplomatic<\/span> highlight,<\/span> especially<\/span> since<\/span> it<\/span> wants<\/span> to<\/span> play<\/span> the<\/span> role<\/span> of<\/span> Europe’s<\/span> leader,”<\/span> said<\/span> Wang<\/span> Yiwei,<\/span> director<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Centre<\/span> for<\/span> European<\/span> Studies<\/span> at<\/span> Renmin<\/span> University<\/span> in<\/span> China.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Macron<\/span> will<\/span> also<\/span> need<\/span> to<\/span> keep<\/span> in<\/span> mind<\/span> China’s<\/span> tactic<\/span> of<\/span> playing<\/span> divide<\/span> and<\/span> rule,<\/span> said<\/span> a<\/span> non-Western<\/span> diplomat<\/span> who<\/span> suggested<\/span> China<\/span> may<\/span> try<\/span> to<\/span> use<\/span> the<\/span> trip<\/span> to<\/span> place<\/span> a<\/span> wedge<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Western<\/span> camp<\/span> and<\/span> lure<\/span> France<\/span> away<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>RED<\/span> LINE<\/span> ON<\/span> RUSSIA<\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/span>For<\/span> his<\/span> part,<\/span> Macron<\/span> wants<\/span> to<\/span> send<\/span> a<\/span> clear<\/span> warning<\/span> to<\/span> his<\/span> counterpart<\/span> Xi<\/span> Jinping,<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> hosted<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> by<\/span> Russian<\/span> President<\/span> Vladimir<\/span> Putin<\/span> earlier<\/span> this<\/span> month,<\/span> that<\/span> Europe<\/span> will<\/span> not<\/span> accept<\/span> China<\/span> providing<\/span> arms<\/span> to<\/span> Russia,<\/span> now<\/span> a<\/span> year<\/span> into<\/span> its<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“Our<\/span> message<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> clear:<\/span>
\n<\/span>There<\/span> may<\/span> be<\/span> a<\/span> temptation<\/span> to<\/span> get<\/span> closer<\/span> to<\/span> Russia,<\/span> but<\/span> do<\/span> not<\/span> cross<\/span> that<\/span> line,”<\/span> a<\/span> senior<\/span> French<\/span> diplomat<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Analysts<\/span> say<\/span> Putin’s<\/span> decision<\/span> to<\/span> station<\/span> nuclear<\/span> weapons<\/span> in<\/span> Belarus<\/span> can<\/span> provide<\/span> an<\/span> opportunity<\/span> for<\/span> France<\/span> to<\/span> push<\/span> China<\/span> to<\/span> distance<\/span> itself<\/span> from<\/span> Russia<\/span> on<\/span> this<\/span> point,<\/span> Beijing<\/span> having<\/span> long<\/span> denounced<\/span> nuclear<\/span> proliferation.<\/span> “France<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> nuclear<\/span> power<\/span> and<\/span> has<\/span> this<\/span> card,”<\/span> said<\/span> Antoine<\/span> Bondaz<\/span> of<\/span> France-based<\/span> think<\/span> tank<\/span> FRS.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> the<\/span> Brussels-based<\/span> diplomat<\/span> said<\/span> many<\/span> in<\/span> Europe<\/span> wondered<\/span> whether<\/span> he<\/span> could<\/span> achieve<\/span> his<\/span> previously<\/span> stated<\/span> goal<\/span> of<\/span> pressuring<\/span> Russia<\/span> to<\/span> end<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> with<\/span> China.<\/span> Told.<\/span> “A<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> people<\/span> in<\/span> Brussels<\/span> roll<\/span> their<\/span> eyes<\/span> when<\/span> I<\/span> bring<\/span> this<\/span> up,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>French<\/span> diplomats<\/span> downplay<\/span> the<\/span> impact<\/span> of<\/span> domestic<\/span> protests<\/span> on<\/span> President<\/span> Emmanuel<\/span> Macron’s<\/span> credibility<\/span> abroad.<\/span> points<\/span> out<\/span> that<\/span> Xi<\/span> faced<\/span> his<\/span> own<\/span> protest.<\/span> “The<\/span> Chinese<\/span> will<\/span> strike<\/span> a<\/span> fine<\/span> balance.<\/span> They<\/span> need<\/span> good<\/span> relations<\/span> with<\/span> Europe<\/span> and<\/span> don’t<\/span> want<\/span> to<\/span> mess<\/span> with<\/span> Macron’s<\/span> internal<\/span> affairs,”<\/span> another<\/span> French<\/span> diplomat<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Europe<\/span> is<\/span> trying<\/span> to<\/span> find<\/span> its<\/span> own<\/span> way<\/span> as<\/span> relations<\/span> between<\/span> Washington<\/span> and<\/span> Beijing<\/span> soured,<\/span> reaching<\/span> a<\/span> peak<\/span> last<\/span> month<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> shot<\/span> down<\/span> a<\/span> Chinese<\/span> balloon<\/span> that<\/span> was<\/span> flying<\/span> over<\/span> its<\/span> territory.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>European<\/span> Commission<\/span> President<\/span> Ursula<\/span> von<\/span> der<\/span> Leyen,<\/span> who<\/span> accompanies<\/span> President<\/span> Macron<\/span> on<\/span> a<\/span> visit<\/span> to<\/span> Beijing,<\/span> said<\/span> at<\/span> a<\/span> time<\/span> when<\/span> China<\/span> is<\/span> consolidating<\/span> its<\/span> hold<\/span> over<\/span> business<\/span> without<\/span> “dividing,”<\/span> the<\/span> European<\/span> Union<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> more<\/span> diplomatic.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> wants<\/span> to<\/span> \u201creduce<\/span> risk\u201d<\/span> both<\/span> financially<\/span> and<\/span> financially.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Analysts<\/span> say<\/span> China’s<\/span> deteriorating<\/span> ties<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> are<\/span> giving<\/span> Europe<\/span> a<\/span> little<\/span> more<\/span> leverage<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> EU’s<\/span> giant<\/span> single<\/span> market<\/span> becomes<\/span> increasingly<\/span> important<\/span> to<\/span> China.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron is due to visit China next week on a rare visit to a rising superpower. French leaders are trying to get back on track with a busy diplomatic schedule after their decision to push through a controversial pension bill through parliament earlier this month sparked clashes and violence […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5377,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2846,2847,2855,2858,3048,3049,3050,3051,3052,3053,3054,3055,3056,403,3057,433,3058,578],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/download-4-3.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5376"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5376"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5383,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5376\/revisions\/5383"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}