“We oppose using the Ukraine crisis to shift blame and discredit a third country and incite a new Cold War,” Xi said on Monday.
The reference to the “new Cold War,” terms the Chinese Communist Party often uses to criticize any geopolitical maneuvering by Washington that does not please Beijing, may strike a chord with Macron, who has sought to develop Europe as a strategically independent military and economic power independent of Europe. China or the United States.
At the end of President Xi’s first day in Paris, the mood at the Elysee was cautiously optimistic, with many advisers seeing a glimmer of hope in the talks, especially on Ukraine.
During joint statements to the press, Xi announced that he supported the French president’s call for an “Olympics truce,” which Macron saw as an opportunity to “work toward a sustainable solution.” [of conflicts] “In full respect for international law.”
But with Russia gaining battlefield advantage in Ukraine and preparing to launch an offensive over the summer, talk of a truce during the Olympics seems like wishful thinking given the reality on the ground.
According to Marc Julien, a China specialist at the Paris-based think tank IFRI, China’s goodwill on the issue is “not a real gain” for France, because it is something Beijing wants anyway.
. “Proud zombie lover. Evil pop culture buff. Amateur thinker. Total food practitioner. Tv evangelist.”