The 2023 France–China summit was a three-day state visit by Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, to China from April 5 to 7, 2023. It was Macron's first visit to China since the COVID-19 pandemic and his third since taking office in 2017. He was accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 CEOs and met with members of the French business community in China. He also met with Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of China, and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, to discuss various issues, especially the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and China's potential role as a mediator between Russia and the West. The visit was seen as an attempt to "reconnect" with China after three years of its zero-Covid policy and despite Beijing's increasing benevolence to Russia in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war.[5]
| 2023 France–China summit 2023年法中国事访问 | |
|---|---|
 Macron, Jinping, and von der Leyen in 2023[1] | |
| Host country |  China |
| Date | April 5–7, 2023 |
| Venue(s) | Hôtel Métropole, Hanoi Great Hall of the People, Beijing Guangzhou, Guangdong |
| Participants |  Emmanuel Macron, President of France Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission Xi Jinping, CCP General Secretary & President of China |
| Key points | |
Background edit
Macron had visited China twice before, in January 2018 and November 2019. During his first visit, he announced a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between France and China and signed several agreements on trade, climate change, nuclear energy and culture. He also presented Xi with a horse named Vesuvius as a gift.[6] During his second visit, he attended the China International Import Expo in Shanghai and met with Xi in Beijing. He also invited Xi to visit France for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2024.[7] However, since then, the relations between China and France, as well as between China and the European Union, have been strained by several factors. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, which was first identified in China, led to Beijing effectively shutting its borders to travel and imposing strict quarantine measures on incoming visitors. This hampered the exchange of people and goods between China and other countries, including France.[8]
Human rights edit
Macron and von der Leyen also raised the issue of human rights during their visit, amid growing international criticism of China's repression of ethnic minorities, political dissidents, and civil society activists. They expressed their concerns over the situation in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government has detained an estimated one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in re-education camps, subjected them to forced labor, surveillance, and other forms of persecution.[9] They also urged China to respect the autonomy and freedoms of Hong Kong, where Beijing has imposed a national security law that has been used to crack down on pro-democracy protests and media outlets.[10] Furthermore, they called for the release of several prominent individuals who have been imprisoned or persecuted for their peaceful activities, such as the Uyghur economist and Sakharov Prize winner Ilham Tohti, the Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, and the Tibetan language activist Tashi Wangchuk.[11]
Macron and von der Leyen's stance on human rights was welcomed by several civil society groups and human rights organizations, who had urged them to make human rights a priority during their visit. Macron "must strongly denounce privately but also publicly the repression against Chinese activists and human rights advocates, Hong Kong’s people, Uyghurs and Tibetans," France's Human Rights League President Patrick Baudouin said in a statement.[12] However, the Chinese government rejected any interference in its internal affairs and accused the Western countries of double standards and hypocrisy. Xi told Macron and von der Leyen that China is committed to protecting human rights according to its own national conditions and development stage, and that China opposes any attempts to politicize or weaponize human rights issues.[13]
Trade relations edit
French business leaders, including Airbus and Alstom officials, accompanied Macron to the summit in China.[14][15][16] Plans for a new Airbus assembly line in China were announced by Macron during the summit.[17]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Macron and von der Leyen visit increasingly distant China". Le Monde. April 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Macron and von der Leyen visit increasingly distant China". Le Monde. April 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Airbus in Talks for New China Jet Order Ahead of Macron Visit". Skift. April 3, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Xi meets with French president via video link". Xinhua News Agency. April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Macron and von der Leyen visit increasingly distant China". Le Monde. April 5, 2023. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Macron offers China horse as state visit begins". BBC News. January 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Macron in China to seek more access for French companies". France 24. November 6, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Coronavirus: How is China using its influence in the EU? Analysis by Euronews expert". Euronews. March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "China and Tibet". Human Rights Watch. January 13, 2023. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "China 2022". Amnesty International. February 10, 2023. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "France, EU: Raise Rights During Top-Level China Visit". Human Rights Watch. March 30, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Macron heads to China for delicate talks on Ukraine, trade". Associated Press. April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Xi meets with French president via video link". Xinhua News Agency. April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Macron to take French business leaders to China next week, despite EU calls to 'de-risk' ties". South China Morning Post. 1 April 2023.
- ^ "Airbus Targets A350 Wide-Body Sale on Macron's China Trip". Bloomberg. 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Airbus announces helicopter deal with Chinese firm during Macron visit". Le Monde. 7 April 2023.
- ^ "Airbus CEO - new China assembly plant boosts output goals". Reuters. 6 April 2023.