Ludovic MARIN / AFP
Two prominent European politicians gathered together in Beijing. The French president came to show off. And the head of the European Commission - to tease Chinese dragon.
French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen will visit China together in early April. The exact date of the visit has not yet been determined.
In any case, it will be a very strange voyage. The master of the Elysée Palace will pay a state visit. He will be received magnificently. With a guard of honor, a wreath laying, a banquet, and all the other honors required by diplomatic protocol. Macron the narcissist will bask in the applause that he loves so much, even if it is hypocritical. And this is at a time when all of France is ablaze due to its disagreement with his pension reform.
Ursula, known in Germany as "Frau Von" (because of the noble prefix "von" in her last name), intends to conduct in Beijing "parallel talks" that do not coincide with the program of the French delegation. It is not clear, however, with whom she will be communicating if China's top officials will be busy honoring Macron.
EC spokesman Eric Mamer commented: "It's simple! President Macron asked her to go with him, and she agreed." For company, so to speak.
The French leader, for his part, explained his engagement by his desire to "present to Beijing a united voice of the European Union."
The meeting between Macron and von der Leyen and Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to be joint. What's the trick? After all the fanfare, Emmanuel will not feel comfortable criticizing China, but the aggressive Ursula, like that German shepherd, will bravely rush to the attack. And he will hide behind her.
Before her trip to the East, she spoke in Brussels on March 30, outlining the contours of her "attack." According to the U.S. publication Politico, von der Leyen said that "Europe needs to be bolder against China, which has become more repressive at home and more assertive abroad. Here is another thesis: "The way China treats Putin's war will be a determining factor for the development of relations between the EU and that country."
She hinted for the first time that Brussels might completely abandon the Comprehensive Investment Agreement with China, which was concluded in 2020 but later suspended by the European Parliament because Beijing imposed sanctions on some of its members.
In addition, the head of the EC promised that in the near future there will be stress tests of relations between the EU and China to determine where European countries are overly dependent on it.
For the first time she presented a list of grievances against Beijing. These are topics that the Chinese leadership prefers not to discuss with anyone at all, considering them an internal matter. Namely, the situation in and around Taiwan, human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur District and "economic repression" against Lithuania.
As for Vilnius, this is a revealing story. The Lithuanian authorities were the first in the European Union to recognize Taiwan and allow it to open a diplomatic mission in its capital. In response China decisively recalled its ambassador from Lithuania, then lowered diplomatic relations to the level of chargé d'affaires, then actually stopped bilateral business cooperation and, finally, deleted this country from the customs register. And some time later, again without any explanation, put it back on the registry. The Lithuanian business was told clearly: the Chinese will not be ceremonious. However, the representatives of the "small, but proud Baltic state" did not learn the lesson. Vilnius announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Revenge was swift. China sent messages to transnational corporations that if they used components and materials from Lithuania, they would no longer be able to sell products on the Chinese market. Voila!
So, all these topics the belligerent Ursula intends to raise and discuss in a defiant tone in Beijing. Who, I wonder, is going to be playing with her there? These German ladies who have found themselves in prominent roles in European and national politics (Ober-diplomat Annalena Baerbock, for example) cannot calm down. They go ahead without fear…
However, "Frau Von" is not so crazy. The British tabloid The Sun reported that Ursula is one of the main contenders for the post of NATO Secretary General to replace Jens Stoltenberg, who is leaving in September. That's where the ex-gynecologist is headed! There is no formal application. Diplomats negotiate behind the scenes on behalf of their governments until consensus is reached. The heads of state and government of the alliance then call a name at their next meeting. The next NATO summit is to be held in Vilnius on July 11-12. That's where the appointment is likely to be announced. Hence von der Leyen's aggressive tone toward China and concern for "poor, offended Lithuania". The Alliance needs a political leader with a loud voice!
Except that "Frau Von" is likely to be rejected: she made too many mistakes as Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany, masterfully destroying the Bundeswehr.