Before his visit to China, French President Emmanuel Macron said that unless China took the initiative, the Taiwan issue would not be mentioned, which sparked criticism from French experts.

The picture shows him having a tea ceremony with Xi Jinping at the Pine Garden Hotel, the former residence of Xi Zhongxun, the former residence of Xi Jinping's father, in Guangzhou, China on the 7th.

(Associated Press)

Two meetings with Xi Jinping in two days to divide the EU against the United States

[Compiler Lin Yuxuan/Comprehensive Report] French President Emmanuel Macron led an economic and trade delegation to visit China on the 5th to 7th, and was warmly received by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Second meeting and dinner.

Reuters pointed out that this shows that Beijing is stepping up its offensive to win over the main allies in the European Union to counter the United States.

French experts criticized Macron for avoiding talking about the Taiwan issue in China, which was like falling into a Chinese trap.

Macron publicly stated before his trip that unless China took the initiative, he would not bring up the Taiwan issue.

However, Ursula Gauthier, a senior French journalist, pointed out on the political debate program of France 24 on the 5th that the Taiwan issue is absolutely the key. All Xi Jinping’s decisions, whether it is trade or military aid to Russia, revolve around Taiwan; Macron once Trying to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching a war, this time trying to remain vague on important issues and repeat the old tricks on Xi Jinping, is "completely fantasy".

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Marc Julienne, director of the Asian Studies Center of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said in the program that the degree of Macron's avoidance of Taiwan is surprising, and it coincides with President Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the United States, which is almost unavoidable. topic.

He believes that even if Taiwan is not directly mentioned, it can always be concerned about the stability of the Taiwan Strait. As a world power and a key player in the Indo-Pacific, France cannot express its concerns frankly to Beijing, which is "incomprehensible."

He also pointed out that Macron did not hesitate to criticize the United States, which caused France to lose its credibility, but was unable to criticize China, making it difficult for allies around the world to understand France's position.

Before Macron's visit, André Gattolin, vice-chairman of the French Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and other cross-party lawmakers warned, "Xi Jinping may think that Europeans ignore China's invasion of Hong Kong and attack Taiwan without fear of being sanctioned." Calling on Macron to express his support to Xi, "this is not a moment of weakness or silence".

When he accepted an interview with "Le Point" magazine on the 6th, he criticized Macron for "falling into a trap with both feet", which is basically a self-inflicted trap.

Sino-French joint statement makes no mention of Taiwan

China and France issued a joint statement on the evening of the 7th, claiming to have reached a 51-point agreement on five major issues. France reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy, and the statement did not mention Taiwan.

However, France has achieved a lot in terms of economy and trade. A total of 36 Chinese and French companies have reached 18 cooperation agreements in the fields of green, innovation, aviation, and new energy; European aircraft manufacturer Airbus (Airbus) and China Aviation Supplies Group Reached a purchase contract of 160 aircraft with a total value of about 20 billion U.S. dollars, and will open a second production line in Tianjin.

Von der Leyen was discriminated against

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who visited China at the same time as Macron and held a hawkish stance towards China, was obviously treated coldly by China. Greeted by the steps of the auditorium, von der Leyen walked up the steps alone to participate in the talks.

Politico, an American political news website, pointed out that China is obviously belittling von der Leyen, taking advantage of the fact that the 27 EU countries have different policies towards China, dividing and ruling European countries to seek Beijing's interests.