Macron's difficult visit to China: This is how the French President wants to save the relationship

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in China for a three-day state visit.

He is bracing himself against a downward spiral in relations between China and the West. 

Beijing/Munich – French President Emmanuel Macron sets the tone for his visit shortly after his arrival in Beijing.

Macron said on Wednesday before his meeting with the People's Republic's top politicians that he was opposed to the idea that there was an "inevitable spiral of increasing tensions" between China and the West.

"We must try to work strategically with China and talk to them directly about Russian aggression and the consequences for Europe," Macron said in a speech at the French embassy.

With his words upon arrival, Macron initially verbally set himself apart from the EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen who was traveling with him.

Last week, in a keynote speech on China policy, she struck a much more critical tone.

She emphasized that Brussels must completely reorganize China policy: "Our relations are unbalanced and are increasingly being distorted by China's state capitalist system." .

In doing so, von der Leyen is moving closer to the hard line of the USA: In Washington, the signs are not exactly pointing to compromises with Beijing.

But at the beginning of the week, Macron and the head of the EU Commission agreed on their approach to the China trip over lunch.

Media reports therefore spoke of a possible "good cop bad cop" appearance - with Macron in the role of the friendly "policeman".

On Thursday, the French President will meet Head of State Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang, among others.

A tripartite summit with Xi and von der Leyen is also planned.

The President of the EU Commission will then also speak bilaterally with Xi - an appointment that, based on her speech, only came about through persistent negotiations on the part of the Europeans.

Baerbock with a similar China position as von der Leyen

Meanwhile, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock positioned herself similarly to von der Leyen on Wednesday.

On the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels, she promoted von der Leyen's approach to "risk minimization" for the economy.

This does not mean decoupling from the People's Republic.

However, one-sided dependencies would have to be reduced in the interest of one's own security, according to Baerbock.

The Green politician will reportedly fly to Asia for several days next week, including a stopover in Beijing.

In NATO, the United States in particular is pushing for possible risks in relation to China to be addressed.

Lithuania also warns vigorously of the dangers of over-dependence on China.

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Emmanuel Macron in a speech at the start of his visit to Beijing: France's President defends himself against the downward spiral in relations with China

© LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP

Macron, on the other hand, is promoting more exchange.

He has a large delegation of business representatives and cultural workers with him and gave a speech in a museum on the outskirts of Beijing on Wednesday evening.

In addition to the Ukraine war and economic relations, the joint fight against the climate crisis is also on his agenda.

Macron in China: Ukraine the most important item on the agenda

Macron and von der Leyen's talks with Xi Jinping will focus on China's role in the Ukraine war.

Macron sees China as a "game changer" in the war sparked by the Russian invasion because of its influence over Russia.

"China is the only country in the world capable of having an immediate and radical impact on the conflict, in one direction or another," an official at the French President's Office said shortly before the war in Ukraine its departure.

Macron himself had emphasized that he wanted to “pull China on our side.”

But Macron is not acting alone either.

Immediately before his departure, he had coordinated with US President Joe Biden.

The French embassy in Washington said on Wednesday, "Both leaders discussed their common desire to engage China to expedite the end of the war in Ukraine and participate in building a lasting peace in the region."

China is increasingly relying on France in Europe

China sees the increasingly close ties between Europe and the USA with eagle eyes.

Beijing's diplomats keep calling on Brussels for more "strategic independence" - and what they mean above all is: not too much transatlantic coordination with China and also with its partner Russia.

In the west, the US is considered the main opponent in China, not the EU.

The Chinese side certainly appreciates France's stance, which is perceived as constructive.

“Macron is a popular figure among China's Europe watchers.

He is widely portrayed as a well-trained, highly capable and pragmatic leader," sinologist Thomas des Garrets, whose newsletter

analyzes publications by Chinese researchers, wrote on Wednesday.

In his opinion, many analysts in China see France as a stronger partner in Europe than Germany or the EU as a bloc.

Because Germany has not been reliable since the end of Angela Merkel's chancellorship: Beijing is aware that the FDP and the Greens led by Foreign Minister Baerbock in particular are critical of China.

The US, in turn, fears that Beijing could use a charm offensive against Macron to drive a wedge between Europe and America.

List of rubrics: © LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP