China’s Xi Jinping and France’s Emmanuel Macron had “frank” discussions over all things trade tensions and war in Ukraine in Paris on Monday, but beneath a veneer of politeness and respect, significant divisions lie.

The most noticeable wins are China’s commitment – in the words of Macron – to “refrain from selling any weapons” to Russia, and “tightly control dual-use exports”.

The French president, in remarks to the press after a day of diplomatic meetings in Paris on Monday (6 May), welcomed his Chinese counterpart’s willingness to keep a “close” channel of communication open when for the sharing of information relative to companies dodging EU sanctions.

Both leaders also committed to calling for a worldwide truce during the Summer Olympic Games in France.

Xi, at the press conference, denied any fuelling of Russia’s continuing aggression of Ukraine, and blamed those who tried to use the conflict to start a “smear” campaign on China, which is, in the Chinese President’s words, only playing a “positive role” in finding a peaceful solution.

“We are opposed to using the Ukrainian crisis to shift blame, smear a third country [China] and start a new Cold War”, he said. He placed both Ukraine and Russia on an equal footing, calling for “equitable peace talks”.

This comes weeks before Russia’s Vladimir Poutine is due to travel to Beijing in May.

Macron also claimed both leaders would respect “the integrity of international borders” – a statement that should go straight to Chinese authorities’ hearts, which have territorial claims over Taiwan.

Need for fair competition

On the economic front, Emmanuel Macron made clear the EU wanted “fair competition, in other words reciprocal, legitimate rules”, as trade tensions have never been so high between both economic superpowers.

Single market rules, he said, “will not be dictated by growing international tensions”.

Earlier that same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in trilateral talks with Xi and Macron in Paris, said Europe was ready “to make full use [of its] trade defence instruments if necessary”.

In September, for the first time ever, the European Commission opened an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric cars. A second investigation into China’s photovoltaic industry has also just started, while a probe into the country’s procurement of medical devices was initiated under a parallel Commission programme.

China, in retaliation, opened its own investigation into French Cognac liquor in January. According to Macron’s remarks at the press conference, Xi had heard France’s “wish” not to apply provisional trade sanctions on Cognac imports into China.

Several commercial contracts were also signed as part of the 6th Franco-Chinese Business Council, held on the sidelines of XI’s visit. A partnership has been set up between the lithium cathode materials company Xiamen Tungsten New Energy and the French company Orano, which specialises in nuclear fuels.

However, there was no mention of the human rights situation in China, despite the Élysée stating just a few days ago the topic was “systematically discussed” with Beijing authorities.

Speaking on French radio on Monday, Macron camp’s lead candidate Valérie Hayer said China was “very probably” guilty of committing “genocide” against the Uyghurs.

(Laurent Geslin, Théo Bourgery-Gonse | Euractiv.fr)

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