Special Envoy to Beijing
A spring sun warms Tiananmen Square, when the black Hongqi, surmounted by the Chinese and tricolor flag, emerges in front of the endless columns of the Great Hall of the People, where Xi Jinping awaits him, standing alone on the red carpet.
Emmanuel Macron jumps out of the limousine once made for Mao, and warmly greets the Chinese president in the eyes of the sphinx, before reviewing the troops standing at attention, bayonets in hand, to the sound of the brass band.
The French president puts himself in the slow step of the Secretary General of the Party, and affectionately pats the back of his impassive host, breaking the gravity of the protocol for a moment.
A hint of his desire to engage the leader of the world's second power to stem the escalation in Ukraine, on his first visit to China since the start of the war, as he had tried to coax Vladimir Putin to the edge of the conflict.
"I know I can count on you to bring Russia to its senses...
This article is for subscribers only.
You have 80% left to discover.
Want to read more?
Unlock all items immediately.
TEST FOR €0.99
Already subscribed?
Login
