Macron hosts China’s Xi in Pyrenees mountains to discuss Ukraine, trade

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a high-altitude lunch and talks in the Pyrenees mountains. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

LA MONGIE, France - French President Emmanuel Macron on May 7 hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a high-altitude lunch at a childhood haunt in the Pyrenees mountains, pressing a message to Beijing not to support Russia’s war against Ukraine and to accept fairer trade.

The first day of Mr Xi’s state visit to France, his first to Europe since 2019, saw respectful but sometimes robust exchanges between the two men during a succession of talks on May 6.

Mr Macron, joined initially by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, urged Mr Xi not to allow the export of any technology that could be used by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and asked Beijing to do all it could to end the war.

Mr Xi, for his part, warned the West not to “smear” China over the conflict and also hit back at accusations that Chinese overcapacity was causing global trade imbalances.

Mr Macron welcomed Mr Xi to a mountain restaurant outside the village of Bagnere-de-Bigorre to explore these issues in relative privacy and enjoy local delicacies.

While born and brought up in the north of France, the young “Manu” spent numerous winter and summer holidays with his late maternal grandparents in the area just below the Col du Tourmalet, over 2,000m above sea level and a legendary climb in the Tour de France cycling race.

The inclement weather – with flurries of snow and mist blocking the spectacular views – left the leaders and their wives Brigitte Macron and Peng Liyuan firmly entrenched under umbrellas as they watched local dances.

But they were also all smiles as they enjoyed local wine in the cosy chalet-style restaurant, with Mr Macron offering gifts including berets and a Tour de France yellow jersey.

“Emmanuel Macron’s diplomacy has always relied, perhaps excessively, on the power of seduction,” said Professor Bertrand Badie, a specialist in international relations at Sciences Po university, warning that Mr Xi was not known for “sentimentality”.

China’s ‘commitments’

Europe is concerned that while officially neutral over the Ukraine conflict, Beijing is essentially backing Russia, which is using Chinese machine tools for weapons production.

The other two countries chosen by Mr Xi for his European tour after France – Serbia and Hungary – are seen as among the most sympathetic to Moscow in Europe.

After a bilateral meeting with Mr Xi, Mr Macron welcomed China’s “commitments” not to supply arms to Russia, while also expressing concern over possible deliveries of dual-use technology.

He thanked Mr Xi for backing his idea of a truce in all conflicts including Ukraine during the Paris Olympics this summer and pointedly added that France was not seeking “regime change” in Russia.

Snow and misty weather left the leaders and their wives firmly entrenched under umbrellas as they watched local dances. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Mr Xi, who is due to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in China later in May, warned against using the Ukraine crisis “to cast blame, smear a third country and incite a new Cold War”.

Writing in Serbian daily Politika ahead of arriving in Belgrade later on May 7, Mr Xi criticised Nato for its “flagrant” bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia in 1999, warning Beijing would “never allow such tragic history to repeat itself”.

‘Flooding European market’

Both Mr Macron and Dr von der Leyen made trade a priority in the talks, underscoring that Europe must defend its “strategic interests” in its economic relations with China amid fears of a trade war.

Dr Von der Leyen said there were “imbalances that remain significant” and “a matter of great concern”, singling out Chinese subsidies for electric cars and steel that were “flooding the European market”.

Mr Macron thanked Mr Xi for not imposing “provisional” customs duties on French cognac amid an ongoing anti-dumping investigation, and presented him with bottles of the expensive drink.

Rights groups and political opponents have railed at the red-carpet welcome for Mr Xi.

They accuse Mr Macron of turning a blind eye to abuses by Beijing, including repression of the Uighur minority while placing too much emphasis on his counterpart’s pledges.

The visit has also coincided with intensified concerns about alleged Chinese hacking attacks – denied by Beijing – against lawmakers and officials in European countries including France, Germany and the UK.

Mr Raphael Glucksmann, a Socialist candidate for the European Parliament elections in June, denounced the “friendly tone” of the visit.

He told RTL television: “The man who deports the Uighurs (and) represses the people of Hong Kong and the Tibetans is not our friend.” AFP

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