The UNRWA Commissioner also said that a continuous flow of aid was essential in Gaza and that the aid coming through the Rafah border was quite inadequate…reports Asian Lite News
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine refugees has appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron to lend support towards ensuring an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops are engaged in a fierce battle with the Hamas group.
UNRWA Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini made the appeal while addressing an International Peace Conference called by Marcon in Paris on Thursday.
The commissioner in his appeal said that he was seeking urgent support from the French president for a humanitarian ceasefire along with strict adherence to international humanitarian law.
He said that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including UN facilities hosting displaced people, must be protected and accessible to humanitarian assistance everywhere in Gaza and at all times.
The UNRWA Commissioner also said that a continuous flow of aid was essential in Gaza and that the aid coming through the Rafah border was quite inadequate.
He also said that the aid should come to Gaza from all crossing points, including the point with Israel, Kerem Shalom.
He also said that the humanitarian aid alone would not do much and it would be complimented by the private sector and informed the French President on the urgent need to restore municipal services like water as also waste management.
The UNRWA commissioner said that there should not be a war spill-over and a stable Palestine was required in the interests of all including Israel.
French President Emmanuel Macron.(photo:Twitter/@EmmanuelMacron)
Macron marked International Women’s Day this year, by honouring Halimi and pitching for enshrining the abortion rights for women in the Constitution…reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to “enshrine” abortion rights for women in the Constitution to make it “irreversible” by 2024.
Macron said that draft constitutional law will be sent to the Council of State this week and presented to the Council of Ministers by the end of the year.
He further said that by 2024, the women’s freedom to have an abortion will be “irreversible”
“Let us engrave in our Constitution the freedom of women to resort to abortion,” Macron posted on X (formerly Twitter).
He added, “Based on the work of parliamentarians and associations, the draft constitutional law will be sent to the Council of State this week and presented to the Council of Ministers by the end of the year. In 2024, women’s freedom to have an abortion will be irreversible”.
Notably, a national law made abortion legal in France in 1975, and no serious threat to its legality exists today. But, the decision of the US Supreme Court last year to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion has galvanized French efforts to protect and recognize abortion as an inalienable right, New York Times reported earlier this year.
Earlier this year, Macron had announced that a bill would be prepared in the coming months to enshrine in the Constitution the freedom to choose a “voluntary termination of a pregnancy.”
“Courts in other countries in the world have returned to the question of women’s rights because reactionary ideologues are seeking their revenge on the lawyers and activists who once made them retreat,” NYT quoted Macron as saying.
In practice, Constitutional revision is a long process requiring either a referendum or agreement by the National Assembly and Senate on an identical text that would have to be voted on by the two houses meeting together at Versailles.
Macron marked International Women’s Day this year, by honouring Halimi and pitching for enshrining the abortion rights for women in the Constitution.
Halimi, who died in 2020 aged 93, was a Tunisian-born French attorney and socialist lawmaker widely recognized for her unstinting struggle for the legalization of abortion in France, which occurred two years after the Roe vs Wade ruling in the US, NYT reported. (ANI)
The pair updated each other on the conversations they have had with leaders in the region “to stress the importance of working to ensure regional stability.”…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday underlined the importance of shipping urgent humanitarian support into war-torn Gaza, the UK government said.
They spoke by telephone following the expansion of Israel’s military operation against Hamas and expressed “their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region”, said a Downing Street spokesperson.
Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.
Since the attack, the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip says more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed — half of them children — by Israel’s relentless retaliatory bombardments.
“The leaders stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza,” said the readout of the conversation between Sunak and Macron.
“They agreed to work together on efforts both to get crucial food, fuel, water and medicine to those who need it, and to get foreign nationals out.”
The pair updated each other on the conversations they have had with leaders in the region “to stress the importance of working to ensure regional stability.”
“They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank,” the readout added.
Sunak and Macron also “agreed that it was important not to lose sight of the long-term future of the region and, in particular, the need for a two-state solution”.
“They underscored that Hamas does not represent ordinary Palestinians and that their barbarism should not undermine the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people,” Number 10 said.
According to France’s presidential office, the pair also reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself within the limits of international law.
PM Modi and President Macron reiterated commitment to strengthen defence cooperation through partnership in the design and expansion of production in India…reports Asian Lite News
Following the working lunch meeting with the French President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that they would take India-France relations to newer heights of progress.
PM Modi took to his social media ‘X’, and tweeted, “A very productive lunch meeting with President @EmmanuelMacron. We discussed a series of topics and look forward to ensuring India-France relations scale new heights of progress.”
Macron arrived in New Delhi a day ago to attend the two-day-long G20 Summit hosted by India under its Presidency.
Macron also held bilateral meetings over the two-day summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva among others.
Un déjeuner de travail très productif avec le président @EmmanuelMacron. Nous avons discuté d'une série de sujets et nous nous réjouissons de faire en sorte que les relations entre l'Inde et la France atteignent de nouveaux sommets de progrès. pic.twitter.com/zXIP15ufpO
A statement from Macron’s office said, “The G20 Summit will enable France’s Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation.”
It further said, “The Summit will also provide an opportunity to follow up on the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris last June. This led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet.”
Defence Industrial Roadmap
PM Modi and President Macron reiterated their commitment to strengthen defence cooperation through partnership in the design and expansion of production in India and called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap.
According to the joint statement, India and France “reiterated their commitment to strengthen the defence cooperation through partnership in design, development, testing and manufacture of advanced defence technologies and platforms, and expand production in India, including for third countries in Indo-Pacific and beyond. In this context, they also called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap.”
“Acknowledging the strength of the India-France partnership, founded in deep trust, shared values, belief in sovereignty and strategic autonomy, a resolute commitment to international law and principles enshrined in the UN Charter, an abiding faith in multilateralism and a mutual pursuit of a stable multi-polar world, both leaders emphasized the need to expand their collaboration to address regional and global challenges. They reiterated their unwavering commitment to collectively serve as a force of good, carrying the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ i.e. ‘one earth, one family, one future’, during tumultuous times reshaping the global order,” the joint statement read.
With the ‘Horizon 2047’ Roadmap, the Indo-Pacific Roadmap and other outcomes during PM Modi’s visit serving as recent points of reference, the two leaders discussed overall progress and next steps on the implementation of the new and ambitious goals for cooperation in areas of defence, space, nuclear energy, digital public infrastructure, critical technology, climate change, education, and people-to-people contacts.
Both the leaders also carried forward their discussions on India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa, including in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, biodiversity, sustainability and industrial projects. Both the leaders underlined their role of providers of solutions for the Indo-Pacific through their cooperation in the framework of the International Solar Alliance, launched by India and France, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. (ANI)
Macron Backs ‘Deep Reforms’ of Int’l Institutions
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the expansion of the UN Security Council and “deep reforms” in all international institutions, asserting that should reflect the “current realities” of the world, in terms of demography and economy.
“We support deep reforms of global governance, Security Council but as well the World Bank and the IMF, they have to reflect today’s realities in terms of demography and economy as well. And then we want to increase the available tools. That’s why we want to replenish the World Bank and France is supporting that so that the emerging countries have a greater role to play…” the French President said while addressing the press conference on the culmination of G20 Summit in India.
He also stated that France expects greater commitments by emerging countries for restructuring the debt of African countries.
“Next the IMF, we expect some greater commitments by the emerging countries when it comes to restructuring the debt of African countries. We stand ready to do more. And we said it today. So it is the very same agenda, greater financing, and mobilization around the world. France upgraded its commitments and we reached 0.5 per cent of our GDP allocated to development projects.”
“And we also want the same to happen at the international level. And this is the reason why we’re committed to the replenishment of IFAD- The International Fund for Agricultural Development. And the meeting will be taking place in December. And I would like to thank President Alvaro Lario of IFAD for being with us today…”, the French President added.
Macron, who arrived in India on Saturday for the G20 Summit, also talked about upholding principles of sovereignty, and territorial integrity of States regarding the Ukraine war.
The French President said, “I thank PM Modi. Faithful to its principles India did its utmost for the G-20 presidency to serve unity and peace and send across the message of unity while Russia is still waging its aggression in Ukraine. So here I would like to thank Prime Minister Modi and say once again that from stands alongside India”.
Emphasizing that G20 is not a forum for political discussions, the French President said in reference to the Ukraine war while reiterating that the bloc supports just and lasting peace. (ANI)
Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting likely in the form of a lunch at the end of the G20 Summit on September 10….reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in New Delhi on Saturday for a two-day visit to attend the G20 Summit under India’s Presidency scheduled to be held from September 9-10. Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting likely in the form of a lunch at the end of the G20 Summit on September 10.
Previously, the two leaders met in July during PM Modi’s visit to France to attend Bastille Day Parade. During his two-day visit to India, Emmanuel Macron will have bilateral meetings with other world leaders, particularly with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, according to the Embassy of France in India.
Prior to his departure, Macron is likely to hold a press conference at the venue on Sunday afternoon, according to the Embassy of France in India. He will depart for Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon.
#G20Summit | PM Modi To Hold 15 Bilateral Meetings During G20, Biden and Macron On List@Vasudha156 reports
Emmanuel Macron through the G20 Summit will continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent. It will also be an opportunities to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can be tackled through multilateral action.
French President’s office in a statement said, “The G20 Summit will enable France’s Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation.”
It further said, “The Summit will also provide an opportunity to follow up on the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris last June. This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet.”
India is hosting the G20 Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.
The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the Summit in New Delhi, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. (ANI)
French President Emmanuel Macron.(photo:Twitter/@EmmanuelMacron)
Russia reacted with fury, warning that London risked being dragged directly into the conflict, and even some Western allies were concerned that Kyiv might conduct strikes into Russia itself…reports Asian Lite News
France will provide Ukraine with SCALP long-range cruise missiles to help Kyiv’s forces strike targets deep behind Russian lines, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.
Arriving at a NATO summit focused on Kyiv’s battle against Moscow’s invasion, Macron said Paris would send the SCALP missile, already supplied by London under the name “Storm Shadow”.
Macron said the new missile delivery was designed to allow Ukraine to strike at Russian occupation forces “in depth” during its counteroffensive to liberate its territory.
The SCALP/Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French weapon with a range of 250 kilometres (155 miles) — the longest of any Western weapon supplied to Ukraine so far — and Britain announced in May that it would supply a batch of the advanced weapons.
Russia reacted with fury, warning that London risked being dragged directly into the conflict, and even some Western allies were concerned that Kyiv might conduct strikes into Russia itself.
Macron implied, however, that Ukraine had given an undertaking not to use SCALP against such targets, saying that they had been given “in coherence with our doctrine, that is to say to permit Ukraine to defend its own territory.”
Macron did not say how many of the missiles would be sent, but France is understood to have an arsenal of less than 400, according to specialist defence review DSI.
French President Emmanuel Macron.(photo:Twitter/@EmmanuelMacron)
The president had been due to fly to Germany on Sunday for a state visit that was cancelled due to the ongoing crisis…reports Asian Lite News
President Emmanuel Macron will meet the leaders of both houses of parliament as violent protests in France over the police shooting of teenager Nahel M appeared to be easing after five nights of unrest during which thousands of people have been arrested amid widespread destruction.
Police made 49 arrests nationwide on Sunday, French media reported, citing the interior ministry, down significantly from 719 arrests the day before, and 1,300 on Friday.
Macron will also meet on Tuesday with the mayors of 220 towns and cities affected by the protests, his office said, after a crisis meeting on Sunday night with government ministers, The Guardian reported.
The president had been due to fly to Germany on Sunday for a state visit that was cancelled due to the ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, the interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, announced the death of a 24-year-old firefighter, who died tackling a blaze in an underground car park in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis after several vehicles were set alight on Sunday evening.
On Saturday, rioters rammed a burning car into the home of Vincent Jeanbrun, the mayor of L’Hay-les-Roses, nine miles (15 km) south of Paris, at about 1.30 a.m. while his family were asleep. Jeanbrun was at the town hall at the time, but his wife and one of his two children, aged five and seven, were injured as they fled. Jeanbrun’s wife sustained a broken leg.
The ebbing violence follows an appeal for calm from the grandmother of Nahel, the 17-year-old killed on Tuesday during a police traffic stop in a Paris suburb, the Guardian said.
“Stop rioting, stop destroying,” the grandmother, named as Nadia, told BFMTV. “I say this to those who are rioting: do not smash windows, attack schools and buses. Stop. It’s mothers who take those buses.” The rioters, mostly minors, were “using Nahel as an excuse,” she said. “We want things to calm down.” Her grandson, identified by only his first name, was buried on Saturday.
More than 3,000 people have been detained since Tuesday, after the mass deployment of 45,000 police officers around the country. Over the weekend, Darmanin said the deployment would be unchanged, after protesters torched cars, looted shops, damaged infrastructure and clashed with police on Saturday night.
The Paris police chief said it was too early to say the unrest had been quashed, the Guardian reported. “There was evidently less damage, but we will remain mobilised in the coming days. We are very focused; nobody is claiming victory,” Laurent Nunez said.
Macron pushed for European defense equipment manufacturers to build independent military systems…reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron called on European nations Monday to seek more independence on airspace defense and advocated against relying too much on the US, a long-divisive issue that takes on new urgency because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Macron made his case for Europeans building their own airspace protection strategy rather than relying on a system built from American and Israeli components as he delivered the closing speech of a conference in Paris gathering defense ministers and other representatives of 20 European countries.
The talks included anti-drone combat and ballistic missile defense, French organizers said, noting that Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has shown the importance and effectiveness of such equipment. Nuclear weapons deterrence was also on the agenda.
“We need to know what the threat situation is … And then, what are we, Europeans, able to produce? And what do we then need to buy?” Macron said.
He warned against purchasing immediately “what’s on the shelves.”
Among nations who took part in the meeting were Germany, the UK and Sweden as well as Ukraine’s neighbors Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. Representatives of NATO and the European Union also attended.
Macron pushed for European defense equipment manufacturers to build independent military systems and relocate production on the continent. He also called for enhanced European standards.
“Why do we still need to buy American too often? Because Americans have standardized much more than we have, and they themselves have federal agencies that provide massive subsidies to their manufacturers,” he said.
The one-day meeting took place on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show, the world’s largest event focusing on aviation and space industry that opened Monday.
France has been openly critical of German-led plans for improved European air defense capabilities. The so-called European Sky Shield project, launched at the end of last year, is made up of 17 European nations including the UK — but not France. It’s meant to be integrated within NATO air and missile defense systems.
The French government believes the project doesn’t adequately preserve European sovereignty, because it’s expected to be largely based on US and Israeli air defense systems.
The German-led plan is expected to feature the Israeli Arrow 3 system and build on existing US Patriot missile capabilities.
The long-range Arrow 3 system, designed to shoot down missiles above the Earth’s atmosphere, is powerful enough to offer protective cover for neighboring European Union states.
According to Israeli manufacturer IAI, the Arrow 3 system is able to intercept ballistic missiles fired from a distance of up to 2,400 kilometers (1,490 miles).
The system was first deployed in an Israeli air force base in 2017 and has been used to protect Israel against attacks from Iran and Syria.The system is expected to cost up to 3.99 billion euros in total, according to Finance Ministry documents seen by AFP.
“With the European Sky Shield Initiative, we are bringing together European states to jointly increase protection against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a news conference earlier Monday in Berlin with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Scholz made no reference to Paris’ objections to the initiative.
Defense has been a recurrent bone of contention between the two countries, with France complaining that Germany wasn’t doing enough in the area for years — until the war in Ukraine led Berlin to announce a major boost to military spending.
Macron said Monday that the Mamba anti-missile system developed together by France and Italy “is now deployed and operational in Ukraine, protecting key installations and lives.” The delivery of the system to Kiev was announced by Paris and Rome in February.
“It really is Europe protecting Europe,” Macron said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 6, 2023. Xi held talks with Macron in Beijing on Thursday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Among Chairman Xi Jinping’s current aims are to divide European unity, and to drive a wedge between Europe and the USA….reports Asian Lite News
French President Emmanuel Macron visited China from 5-7 April, receiving a rapturous reception. However, Macron has not enamoured himself with the USA and others in Europe with his deference to China.
Even before his arrival, Macron said he wanted to “relaunch a strategic and global partnership with China”. Indeed, Beijing will be rubbing its hands with glee at such a “useful idiot” (referring to a person who is used, often unwittingly, to promote someone else’s cause) beating down the door to get to China. All it took was a rock star welcome and lavish charm. Among Chairman Xi Jinping’s current aims are to divide European unity, and to drive a wedge between Europe and the USA. He genuinely considers China as being in the ascendancy, so weakening the transatlantic partnership aids his cause. Macron’s comments to several journalists on his flight home precisely reinforced Xi’s own ambitions, claiming “the great risk” that Europe faces is getting “caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy”. Of course, Chinese state media have excitedly endorsed Macron’s policy of “strategic autonomy”.
Xi would also be pleased as punch over such Macron comments as this: “The paradox would be that, overcome with panic, we believe we are just America’s followers. The question Europeans need to answer…is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction.”
When the topic of Taiwan came up during meetings, Xi apparently said anyone who thought they could influence Beijing on the matter was deluded. Macron obviously agrees, for he told media: “Europeans cannot resolve the crisis in Ukraine; how can we credibly say on Taiwan, ‘Watch out, if you do something wrong we will be there’? If you really want to increase tensions, that’s the way to do it.”Sadly, at almost the same time as Macron was crooning about the need for strategic autonomy, China launched a major military exercise against Taiwan in response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s diplomatic tour of Central America, which included meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.
According to Politico, Macron was allegedly pleased that China waited till he was outside Chinese airspace before launching these drills designed to browbeat Taiwan. If true, it is outrageous, and incredibly embarrassing, for a democratic leader to fall prostrate in such a manner before a belligerent, warmongering authoritarian state. One would have thought that France’s own history would have taught that appeasement is not the answer, and that it valued the support of allies in ridding the nation of Nazi occupiers. Instead, France is leading the way in accepting China as a regional hegemon in Asia. Furthermore, people like Macron seem ready to take economic and political advantage from such a new world order.
Dr. Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) tweeted: “So, don’t count on France to support the US and its Indo-Pacific allies in a China-Taiwan crisis. Where France leads, will Europe follow? This is appallingly bad policy by Macron in the face of a concerted and growing challenge to liberal democracies by authoritarian adversaries China and Russia.”
Macron’s visit to China is a textbook example of strategic shortsightedness, and one caused primarily by personal vanity. It calls to mind Macron’s visit to President Vladimir Putin just a fortnight before Russia invaded Ukraine. Macron, exiled to one end of a very long meeting table, presumptuously thought he could woo Putin and prevent war.
While Macron might have been snubbed by Putin, Xi was far craftier. This explains all the pomp and ceremony, and swooning members of the “public” eager to high five the French leader. The French leader reveled in all the trappings of a state visit, trailed by an entourage of businessmen. With plummeting popularity at home – amidst strikes and protests – Macron seemed more intent on burnishing his foreign policy credentials.
Of course, Xi is playing a strategic game, seeking to gain benefit from a range of visits to and from foreign dignitaries like those from Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Spain in recent weeks.And what did Macron secure from Xi? Absolutely nothing! Xi did not promise to broker a deal in Ukraine, nor offer any policy shift whatsoever. Yes, there were several business deals that Macron can crow about, including nuclear power and wind energy, a water desalination plant, and sales of aircraft, helicopters and cosmetics. When other countries are figuring how to reduce dependence on China, Macron is going in completely the opposite direction by seeking closer economic engagement.
Chinese helicopter lessor and operator GDAT ordered 50 H160 helicopters from Airbus Helicopters for more than USD700 million. Even though the H160 is a civilian medium helicopter, France’s military has ordered 169 of the H160M military variant.Is there a danger of Chinese aerospace gaining technology from the H160? Remember that China has a long record of license-building and then reverse-engineering French-designed helicopters for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
This is the case with the AS365 Dauphin, which China manufactured as the Z-9, the Super Frelon which became the Z-8, and the AS350 which became the Z-11. On several occasions, ANI has asked Airbus Helicopters what it thinks of AVIC reproducing its helicopters for the PLA. The response has typically been a Gallic shrug of the shoulders and a denial that it is complicit.
On this visit, Macron signalled no deterrence whatsoever to Xi, not even economic. Instead, he scooped up whatever economic and political capital he could, selling short European and French influence upon China. His suggestions that resisting China’s ambitions towards Taiwan is both escalators and futile are even more abhorrent. Macron tweeted that he was “convinced that China has a major role to play in building peace,” plus he told French expatriates in Beijing that “China, precisely on the strength of its close relationship with Russia, which has been reaffirmed again in recent days, can play a major role”. What foolish and shortsighted assumptions these are!
Such lame excuses are exposed by an interview conducted recently by Fu Cong, Chinese Ambassador to the EU. Fu insisted that the absence of any phone call to date between Xi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was of no great importance. “I know people are fixated on the presidential call. The fact that President Xi is not speaking to Zelenskyy does not signify that China is on the side of Russia on the Ukrainian issue.”
This is a ridiculous piece of diplomatic double-speak, demonstrating how Xi has made no effort whatsoever to intercede in the Russian-Ukraine war and tell Putin to back down. In fact, Xi has been “too busy” to reach out to Zelenskyy, although he found plenty of time in his schedule to make a three-day trip to Moscow to visit Putin in person last month. Fu said there were frequent lower-level contacts between China and Ukraine, but obviously, a full-scale war does not feature highly enough on Xi’s agenda to get personally involved, not even a single phone call. For Macron to even remotely think that Xi has any interest in ending the war is blind idiocy.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, was in Beijing at the same time as Macron, and she had joint meetings with the Chinese both with and without Macron. Cutting a sometimes forlorn figure in contrast to Macron’s red carpet treatment and bonhomie with Xi, she warned China not to supply military equipment to Russia.
On Sina Weibo, China’s popular social media website, reactions to Macron’s visit were generally positive. One person commented: “It seems that French President Emmanuel Macron’s trip to China was very effective, and he openly challenged the United States on the plane back to France … Why is Macron suddenly so tough? The most direct reason may be that he has received strong economic support from China.” Others praised Macron for his enlightened attitude towards China. “The French have a very great advantage, they are particularly keen on the trend of the times, and they are particularly persistent in what they look for. Either don’t do it, or do it very thoroughly … Macron’s visit to China this time cannot be regarded as an ordinary diplomatic visit. This is an epoch-making diplomatic event, and we have witnessed history.”
The same netizen applauded: “Macron told the world through his visit to China that Europe and China cannot decouple supply chains. When the United States frantically blocked China’s technology, France withstood the pressure and declared that Europe and China stood together … When Macron came to China, he handed over the future of Europe to China. In a way, Europe and America have drifted apart.”Another netizen commented: “For real mutual benefit, Macron opened up a new model of communication between big countries and China. The exchanges between major countries and China were very characteristic in the past. To put it simply, they turned their faces when they took advantage of the benefits. China is working hard for mutual benefit and win-win results, but what others see is only their own little interests … Macron’s visit to China this time is full of mutual benefits. The first to learn to use the mutual benefit to communicate with China, France is really smart.”
Another humorously posted, “Macron doesn’t want to go back to France. Coincidentally, the French don’t want Macron to come back either. It is suggested that Macron waits for the past few years and comes to China to be an old friend of our Chinese people.”
Most on Sina Weibo saw the French president’s tour to China as a blow to the US strategy of wooing the West to “contain” China. They approved the warm reception accorded Macron. Incidentally, France was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, in 1964.Yet another netizen responded, “To be honest, this diplomacy seems to feel good about itself, and in fact it’s full of hospitality. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this type of diplomacy.” This underscores the point that, after being on the outer since COVID struck, many see China as regaining traction diplomatically.
Finland’s flag was raised outside NATO Headquarters for the first time.
However, some saw through the froth and bubble. “Isn’t France a member of NATO? NATO and China are opposites, so don’t be too close to them.” Elsewhere, Justin Bassi, Executive Director of ASPI in Australia, noted: “Where to start? Macron seems to: blame cross-strait tensions on the USA; wants autonomy from the USA but more reliance on China; fails to back von der Leyen, who appropriately raised Taiwan with Xi; be only invested in Euro security. He forgets about partners, deterrence and France as a Pacific power.”
Actually, Macron’s words and actions are at odds with previous French government policy. France is the only European nation with a permanent naval presence in Asia-Pacific, and it has 2,840 troops stationed in New Caledonia and French Polynesia in the South Pacific.
Florence Parly, the French Minister of Armed Forces till last year, admitted back in 2019 that “multilateralism is receding, and its core values like sovereign equality, non-interference, respect of borders are on the wane”.Responding directly to China, Parly stated: “I would like to tell you that we strongly believe in rules-based order and we strongly believe in international law, among which is freedom of navigation. We consider that the fait accompli is clearly not in accordance with UNCLOS,” this being a reference to China’s establishment of military bases in the South China Sea.
France’s support for Ukraine has been relatively restrained. It has committed just 0.7% of GDP to support Kyiv, which is the second-lowest percentage of any European donor. With such spasmodic support for Ukraine, it is perhaps little wonder that it is willing to throw Taiwan under a Chinese bus. Macron’s visit to China elicited absolutely no policy shift from Xi, not even a hint of one. Without needing to concede anything, Xi’s sophisticated use of flattery paid off in full. Unfortunately, Macron is ignoring the truth about Xi, an authoritarian who believes aggression, including invading another’s sovereign territory, is being on “the right side of history”.
Xi thinks anyone improving their military in response to the PLA’s massive modernization is guilty of “containment”. He insists everyone is “on the wrong track” if they do not wholeheartedly agree with China. Asking for transparency from Beijing is tantamount to “smearing” it, and exposing its interference in the foreign affairs of others is called “racist”. Shamefully, this is the kind of regime that Macron seems very comfortable dealing with. (ANI)
Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 6, 2023. Xi held talks with Macron in Beijing on Thursday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic conversation with US President Joe Biden. During the phone-call, the two leaders had spoken about Macron’s visit to China…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese President Xi Jinping today held a meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Beijing, Xinhua reported. On Wednesday, Macron arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit to China at the invitation of Xi.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Macron said that he will discuss about climate, business, bio-diversity and food security with Xi Jinping. Macron’s visit to China comes amid Europe’s efforts to find a path to peace in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He tweeted, “I am convinced that China has a major role to play in building peace. This is what I have come to discuss, to move forward on. With President XI Jinping, we will also talk about our businesses, the climate and biodiversity, and food security.”
On April 5, Macron addressed the French community in China, the Elysee Palace said in a statement. He began by saluting the medical and nursing staff and the management of French schools and teachers for their sense of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, Macron spoke about the objectives of his visit to China.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that he wants to engage China in shared responsibility for peace and stability, strengthen the trade ties between France and China and reinitiate a common framework for action on major international issues such as the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
Macron recalled the importance of reviving cultural ties between France and China in 2023 to prepare for the year 2024, which will be the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the year of Franco-Chinese cultural tourism and the year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and China., according to the Elysee Palace statement.
French President visited the RedBrick museum in Beijing to attend the opening of the 17th edition of the Festival Croisements. He noted that this festival remains the largest foreign festival in China with 15 million spectators since its creation, according to the statement.
Earlier on April 4, Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic conversation with US President Joe Biden. During the phone-call, the two leaders had spoken about Macron’s visit to China.
The White House said in a statement, “The two leaders discussed President Macron’s upcoming travel to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They also reiterated their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression.” (ANI)
