Coming back from his second visit to China in two consecutive years, France's President Emmanuel Macron can be satisfied with bilateral economic and trade cooperation agreements worth US$15 billion and with the opening of French Georges Pompedou Center in Shanghai, the first one of its kind abroad. But he might be more pleased with having got China on his side in his efforts to make France a world politic player again. On the other side, China has had nothing to complain because of succeeding in becoming able to play the so-called "French Card" against the EU and the US. China and France are both seeking economic and trade partners and have found allies in the pressing issues of the world politics.
| China's President Xi Jinping and France's President E. Macron. Photo: France24 |
What is tying them together is the common goal to mobilize nations in the world and building alliances to deal with the US’s trade protectionism and withdrawal from international and multilateral treaties and accords. Both the EU and China have been facing since years and months with US trade conflicts and strategic competition. Both of them have to negotiate with the US on solutions to lasting troubles in their respective relations with the US. They can use each other as counterweight to the US. Together, they could push more powerfully for isolating the US in the world and to force the US to accept more concessions to them. The longer the collision of interests between them and the US lasts and escalates, the more the EU and China have to rely on each other.
The EU has been since years and months in crisis and losing more and more power and influence in Europe as well as in the world. The young and new French president has his ambitions to make France become a world power again and lead Europe. He needs China for his goal. His approach is simply to appear in Europe as someone who has fresh and creative ideas to help the EU successfully deal with present challenges and difficulties and be recognized and accepted in the world as a firm opponent to US President Donald Trump's crusade against free trade and multilateralism, against protection of the Earth’s climate and populistic nationalism. He needs China as a partner and ally he and the EU don't have otherwise in the world.
China itself can profit from playing the EU against the US and from allying with the EU to deal with the US. China sees in France and Mr. Macron a new useful partner and ally in its strategic game with the US and intends to divide between the EU and the US as well as between EU member states themselves. For these purposes, France and Mr. Macron are now the best choice for China in Europe.
