Global trade marks tense meeting between China and EU leaders

Commercial disagreements marked, this Monday (6), the first visit to Europe since the Covid pandemic by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who rejected the concerns of his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Although the three leaders meeting at the headquarters of the French presidency in Paris appeared to want to move in the same direction on the war in Ukraine, they did not try to disguise trade tensions.

The European Union fears being trapped between the subsidized economies of the United States and China and, in recent months, has increased investigations into Beijing’s state aid to several industries, such as electric cars.

The EU “will not hesitate to take firm decisions” to “protect its economy and its security”, said Von der Leyen this Monday.

At the beginning of the meeting, the French president defended “balanced” commercial relations with China.

“The so-called ‘China’s excess capacity problem’ does not exist either from the point of view of comparative advantage or in light of global demand,” replied the communist leader, according to a note from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The numerous trade conflicts between the two sides could end with an increase in tariffs.

In an interview with the weekly newspaper La Tribune Dimanche, Macron acknowledged, however, that Europeans are not “unanimous” about which strategy to adopt, referring veiledly to Germany, accused of wanting to preserve its car exports to China.

Beijing, which considers European measures “protectionist”, has also launched its own investigation into state subsidies, particularly French cognac, which Macron opposes under pressure from the industry.

Xi’s first official trip to Europe since 2019, which will also take him to Serbia and Hungary, coincides with the 60th anniversary of his diplomatic relations with France, which is seen as a “balancing power” between Beijing and Washington.

– ‘Escape’ in the Pyrenees –

After the meeting with Von der Leyen, the presidents of China and France went to the Hotel des Invalides, where they inspected the troops, before returning to the Élysée Palace for a bilateral conversation.

The war in Ukraine is another of the major themes planned. “Coordination” with Beijing on the “major crises” in Ukraine and the Middle East is “absolutely decisive”, said Macron, who also hosted a state dinner for Xi.

The French leader intends to ask his Chinese counterpart to support the “Olympic truce” for all conflicts, on the occasion of the Paris-2024 Games in the European summer.

France wants China, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main ally, not to support its war efforts and to use ties with Moscow to “contribute to the resolution of the conflict”, according to the French presidency.

Xi, who wants the return of “peace and stability” to Europe, told the newspaper Le Figaro that he wants to “work with France and the entire international community to find good ways to resolve the crisis” in Ukraine.

“President Xi has played an important role in reducing Russia’s irresponsible nuclear threats and I trust that he will continue to do so”, stressed Von der Leyen, hours after Moscow ordered nuclear exercises to be carried out in the “near future”.

The war in Ukraine could also be on the menu during lunch scheduled for Tuesday at the ‘Col du Tourmalet’, in the Pyrenees region, a more informal and personal refuge for Macron, where he spent his childhood holidays with his grandmother.

On the sensitive issue of human rights, Macron says he prefers to discuss “disagreements behind closed doors” and not make Taiwan a priority, despite the island being at the center of strong tensions between the United States and China.

Human rights groups, who accuse China of repressing the Uyghur Muslim minority and arresting dozens of journalists, have called on the French president to address these issues at meetings.

On Sunday, around 2,000 protesters, according to police, also displayed a Tibetan flag in Paris, accusing Xi of being a “dictator” and wanting to erase local culture in the Tibet region.