Why China needs Macron to drive a wedge between Europe and America – POLITICO

Chinese language chief Xi Jinping had one overriding message for his visiting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron this week: Don’t let Europe get sucked into enjoying America’s sport.

Beijing is raring to keep away from the EU falling additional beneath U.S. affect, at a time when the White Home is pursuing a extra assertive coverage to counter China’s geopolitical and navy energy.

Russia’s yearlong battle towards Ukraine has strengthened the alliance between Europe and the U.S., shaken up international commerce, reinvigorated NATO and compelled governments to have a look at what else might all of the sudden go improper in world affairs. That’s not welcome in Beijing, which nonetheless views Washington as its strategic nemesis.

This week, China’s counter-offensive stepped up a gear, turning on the allure. Xi welcomed Macron into the grandest of settings on the Nice Corridor of the Folks in Beijing, together with European Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen. This was in sharp distinction to China’s present efforts to maintain senior American officers at arm’s size, particularly since U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to as off a visit to Beijing throughout the spy balloon drama earlier this yr.

Each American and Chinese language officers know Europe’s coverage towards Beijing is much from settled. That’s a chance, and a threat for either side. In latest months, U.S. officers have warned of China’s willingness to ship weapons to Russia and talked up the hazards of permitting Chinese language tech firms unfettered entry to European markets, with some success.

TikTok, which is finally Chinese language owned, has been banned from authorities and administrative telephones in various places in Europe, together with within the EU establishments in Brussels. American strain additionally led the Dutch to place new export controls on gross sales of superior semiconductor gear to China.

But even the hawkish von der Leyen, a former German protection minister, has dismissed the notion of decoupling Europe from China’s economic system altogether. From Beijing’s perspective, that is one more vital distinction from the hostile business surroundings being promoted by the U.S.

Simply this week, 36 Chinese language and French companies signed new offers in entrance of Macron and Xi, in what Chinese language state media stated was an indication of “the not declining confidence within the Chinese language market of European companies.” Whereas hardly a press release brimming with confidence, it might have been worse.

For the final couple of years European leaders have grown extra skeptical of China’s trajectory, voicing dismay at Beijing’s method of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, the therapy of protesters in Hong Kong and Xinjiang’s Uyghur Muslims, in addition to China’s sanctions on European politicians and navy threats towards Taiwan.

Then, Xi and Vladimir Putin hailed a “no limits” partnership simply days earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine. Whereas the West rolled out robust sanctions on Moscow, China grew to become the final main economic system nonetheless excited about sustaining — and increasing — commerce ties with Russia. That shocked many Western officers and provoked a fierce debate in Europe over how one can punish Beijing and the way far to tug out of Chinese language commerce.

Beijing noticed Macron because the pure accomplice to assist keep away from a nosedive in EU-China relations, particularly since Angela Merkel — its earlier favourite — was not German chancellor.

Macron’s willingness to have interaction with anybody — together with his much-criticized contacts with Putin forward of his battle on Ukraine — made him particularly interesting as Beijing sought to drive a wedge between European and American methods on China.

Not taking sides

“I’m very glad we share many equivalent or comparable views on Sino-French, Sino-EU, worldwide and regional points,” Xi informed Macron over tea on Friday, within the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, in response to Chinese language state media Xinhua.

Strategic autonomy, a French international coverage focus, is a favourite for China, which sees the notion as proof of Europe’s distance from the U.S. For his half, Macron informed Xi a day earlier that France promotes “European strategic autonomy,” doesn’t like “bloc confrontation” and believes in doing its personal factor. “France doesn’t choose sides,” he stated.

The French place is challenged by some in Europe who see it as an pressing activity to take a more durable strategy towards Beijing.

“Macron might have simply averted the dismal image of European and transatlantic disunity,” stated Thorsten Benner, director of the Berlin-based International Public Coverage Institute. “No one pressured Macron to indicate up with an enormous enterprise delegation, repeating disproven illusions of reciprocity and deluding himself about working his private magic on Xi to get the Chinese language chief to show towards Putin.”

Holger Hestermeyer, a professor of EU legislation at King’s School London, stated Beijing will battle to separate the transatlantic alliance.

“If China needs to succeed with constructing a brand new world order, separating the EU from the U.S. — even somewhat bit — can be a prized aim — and thoughts you, most likely an elusive one,” Hestermeyer stated. “Proper now the EU is strengthening its defenses particularly as a result of China tried to play divide and conquer with the EU up to now.”

Xi’s concentrate on America was unmistakable when he veered into a subject that was a good distance from Europe’s prime precedence, throughout his three-way assembly with Macron and von der Leyen. A week earlier the Biden administration had held its second Summit for Democracy, during which Russia and China had been portrayed as the primary threats.

“Spreading the so-called ‘democracy versus authoritarianism’ [narrative],” Xi informed his European friends on Thursday, “would solely carry division and confrontation to the world.”