The Élysée wants to “restore momentum” to bilateral projects with China and to dialogue on global challenges such as the climate crisis or the conflict in Ukraine.
France estimated on Thursday that “the time for reconnection” with China had come, in order to convince Beijing in particular to “contribute” to peace in Ukraine, after a cooling linked to the Covid but also to diplomatic tensions.
After two days of talks in Paris with the head of Chinese diplomacy Wang Yi, the Elysée confirmed that a visit by Emmanuel Macron to China “in the first half” was indeed “in preparation” . The French president personally received the top Chinese leader on Wednesday.
“It’s really time to reconnect with the Chinese authorities,” the French presidency told reporters.
“Many subjects” must be “discussed face to face”
This recovery is linked to the end of the restrictions of the “zero Covid” policy in China, pleaded an adviser to the French head of state, who had himself met his counterpart Xi Jinping in November in Indonesia. “We have spent three years without direct contact with the Chinese authorities”, he explained, “many subjects” must be “discussed face to face”.
Relations between the Asian giant and the European Union were strained in 2021 when the Europeans imposed sanctions in protest at the Chinese authorities’ crackdown on the Uyghur Muslim minority. Beijing had sanctioned European parliamentarians in retaliation.
Paris recognizes that the status quo prevails in this case and claims to have raised “very clearly” the issue of human rights with Wang Yi.
“We take China as it is”
But “we take China as it is”, “this trajectory of closure for more than ten years” should “not prevent us from continuing to maintain this link”, pleaded the Elysée.
Bilaterally, the French government wants to “rebalance” access to the Chinese market, particularly in the aeronautics sector and for French farmers.
Above all, Emmanuel Macron still hopes to convince China to “contribute to a solution” in the conflict in Ukraine by putting pressure on Russia, of which Beijing remains a close ally.
Wang Yi is due to go to Moscow after his European tour. His French interlocutors “encouraged” him to “send messages” so that “Russia returns to the negotiating table” and “stops the bombardments” against civilians, said the adviser.
