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The past week witnessed the full swing of China’s assertive diplomacy, with the Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, while Foreign Minister Qin Gang met his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
On April 6, President Xi Jinping met Ursula von der Leyen at the Great Hall of the People, saying that China regards the European Union (EU) as a strategic force in international politics, and that China is keen to work with the EU to enhance strategic mutual trust and cooperation, minimize misunderstanding, and promote the development of Sino-EU relations.
Xi said that China opposed military aggression and hegemony – a remark implying the relatively neutral position of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict although critics said Beijing has been “biased” in favour of Russia.
Ursula emphasized in her talks that she stood behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace plan, and that she welcomed China’s principles of solving the Russo-Ukrainian war, especially the call for nuclear safety and risk reduction. She called for China not to provide any military equipment, directly or indirectly, to Russia.
In response, President Xi remarked that he is willing to speak to Zelensky when the time and condition are ripe.
On the Taiwan issue, President Xi reiterated that it is at the core of China’s core interests, and that the Chinese people will not stand for anyone who try to “take advantage of the question.” He added: “If anyone expects China to compromise and concede on the Taiwan question, they are having a pipe dream and would shoot themselves in the foot.”
Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU has no intention of altering its long-standing one-China policy, and that it hopes for peace and stability to be maintained across the Taiwan Strait. She reiterated that the EU has no intention to change its long-standing one-China policy, that it recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that it hopes peace and stability will be maintained across the Taiwan Strait.
On April 6, President Xi Jinping also met French President Emmanuel Macron. Xi told Macron that the French President was the first European head of state he received after the two sessions. The two leaders agreed that China and France should maintain a stable comprehensive strategic partnership that is mutually beneficial, dynamic, and injecting vitality into the Sino-European relations.
Both China and France signed a series of cooperative agreements, including aviation, aerospace, civilian nuclear energy, green development, technological innovation, the construction of a Sino-French carbon neutrality centre, the mutual training of talents, and the enhancement of people-to-people exchange in the aspects of culture, education language, publication, tourism, film industry, youth, and sports.
Geopolitically, both China and France vow to support a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations, oppose Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, hold a UN Ocean Conference in 2025, and to embrace France’s participation at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
President Xi also held a trilateral meeting with Macron and Ursula von der Leyen. The Chinese President said that China often views Europe as having an independent role in the multipolar world, that China supports Europe in achieving strategic autonomy, that Sino-European relationship is neither the target nor under the influence of any third party. By implication, President Xi tended to support France’s more independent foreign policy and to woo the EU side to be more “independent.”
President Xi appeared to embrace Macron’s visit as of high significance. He held an informal meeting with Macron in Guangzhou on April 7. President Xi said that Guangzhou was the cradle of China’s democratic revolution and the vanguard of the PRC’s open-door policy. He elaborated on the Chinese-style modernization in which Guangzhou plays an active role in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area – an area that President Xi toured shortly after his informal meeting with Macron.
The most important part of Xi’s informal discussion with Macron was the topic of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. President Xi said that an early ceasefire will serve the interests of all parties concerned and the entire world, and that a political settlement is the way out of the current impasse. As such, all relevant parties should work in the same direction to create an enabling environment for a political settlement. President Xi added that China welcomes France’s concrete proposals for a political solution to the Ukrainian issue.
In response, Macron said that a political settlement will need to consider the legitimate concerns of all parties, and that France is ready to communicate and cooperate with China to facilitate an early political settlement of the crisis.
Obviously, the Xi-Macron meeting in Guangzhou was diplomatically significant as both leaders agree to explore the possibility of finding and reaching a political settlement, details of which will likely be hammered out by both sides under the principles of mutual communication and cooperation.
On April 14, President Xi held talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva in Beijing, pointing out that the two countries are the biggest markets in the Eastern and Western hemispheres respectively. Moreover, China and Brazil share the common interests of creating a new future for their bilateral relationships.
Both sides reached a Joint Declaration on how to deepen strategic partnership, including mutual discussion on how to enhance agricultural trade and farm products, how to invest in and improve infrastructure and port facilities, how to enhance aviation cooperation, how to develop joint investment in enterprises and information technology, how to sustain monetary and financial development, and how to explore the mutual development of innovation technology, the digital and low carbon economy, and e-commerce and ecological innovation.
Most importantly, the Sino-Brazilian trade will use the currencies of the two countries, rather than US dollars, in their transactions – a step away from the monetary dependence on US dollars.
In terms of regional organizations, President Xi pledged China’s support for the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to consolidate peace, stability, independence, regional integration and to play a more active role in international affairs. China will also work with Brazil to ensure the success of China-CELAC Forum, to practice multilateralism, to advocate the common values of humanity, just and equitable international governance, and to build up a shared future for the mankind.
President Lula said he was honoured to bring a large delegation on his fourth visit to China – a demonstration of his commitment to maintaining harmonious and productive Brazilian-Chinese relations. He expressed his appreciation of China’s rapid 5G progress and believed that China can contribute to Brazil’s continuous industrialization and poverty alleviation. Both sides upheld multilateralism, international equity and justice, responses to climate change, and the need for balanced development.
On the Ukrainian crisis, both sides agreed that dialogue and negotiation would be necessary conditions leading to a peaceful settlement.
On April 14, PRC Foreign Minister Qin Gang met German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Baerbock expressed the German concern about the PRC’s threat of using force against Taiwan, while maintaining that Germany adopts a one-China policy. She said that military escalation across the Taiwan Strait is “a horrible situation.” Qin Gang reiterated that Taiwan has some people who are conducting separatist activities – a cause leading to current tensions. Baerbock engaged Qin Gang by saying that China should appeal to Russia to stop the war against Ukraine, but Qin Gang replied that solving the Ukrainian issue needs to advocate and promote peace talks. Baerbock also questioned China’s human rights condition as its civil society has been curbed, but Qin Gang replied that China does not need a teacher from the West and that every state has its own cultural and historical circumstances.
Baerbock’s firm position appeared to elicit an equally assertive response from Qin Gang – both sides without any breakthrough and diplomatic relations.
Analytically speaking, China’s assertive diplomacy has met its supporters and opponents. Strictly speaking, its supporters include Macron and Lula, especially Marcon who calls for European to adopt its strategic autonomy away from the influence of other countries, notably the US. Macron’s adoption of an independent French foreign policy is reminiscent of General Charles de Gaulle. France, to Macron, should stand away from the two blocs of the Cold War, and as such Macron’s geopolitical orientation has much in common with Xi Jinping’s, albeit critics of the PRC have maintained that Beijing is closer to Moscow rather than adopting an “autonomous” position.
Still, the Xi-Macron meeting in Guangzhou affirmed a likelihood f developing Sino-French discussion and exploration of a political settlement leading to a ceasefire in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Even Ursula von der Leyen pointed to the acceptance of China’s principle of advocating the avoidance in the usage of nuclear weapons in the Russo-Ukrainian conflicts. Eventually, at least France and EU are now realizing the progressive aspects of China’s position on the Russo-Ukrainian war.
As with France, Brazil has appeared to adopt a more “independent” foreign policy toward China without siding with the US totally. Of course, economic pragmatism has seemed to shape the ongoing Brazilian-Chinese relations. Having said that, the economic and technological rise of China has gained the respect of Lula, whose attitude toward the PRC is undoubtedly conducive to a more friendly and productive Sino-Brazilian relationship in the coming years.
The sour meeting between Annalena Baerbock and Qin Gang, however, illustrated the clash of mainstream Western values on the one hand and the Chinese socio-political values on the other. Both sides could not convince each other, signalling an ongoing clash of political civilizations.
In conclusion, the past week has witnessed China’s diplomatic assertiveness in which its relative neutrality in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has got the support from France and, to a minor extent, Brazil. Most importantly, it is very likely that China and France can now explore the details of a political settlement that may bring about at least a ceasefire in the Russo-Ukrainian conflicts. The EU, however, contains various countries whose foreign policy toward China and the Ukrainian issue varies from one to another, but France stands out as the most independent actor advocating a more independent Europe outside the sphere of influence of any superpower or any bloc. As such, France’s emphasis on a strategically autonomous Europe can be a rude awakening to some European states, even though Germany is currently on the side of the US-led bloc. Perhaps a silver lining has eventually come out in the international politics of the Russo-Ukrainian war, namely France and China are now well positioned to explore the details of a possible settlement to the Russo-Ukrainian conflicts in the coming months.
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