Embattled Macron heads to China, leaving burning Paris behind FMTNews FMTWorld
Emmanuel Macron’s visit is seen as an awkward balancing act between his global ambitions and his struggle to contain protests at home.
But the chaotic scenes of burning piles of rubbish in Paris, which were broadcast around the world, have already forced Macron to cancel a state visit by Britain’s King Charles, an embarrassment which did not go unnoticed in diplomatic circles. The protests, which will see unions stage an 11th nationwide strike during Macron’s time in Beijing, come as the French president is trying to regain the initiative on the war in Ukraine and play a leadership role in Europe.“The protests bring a large amount of risk and France needs a diplomatic highlight, especially since it wants to play the role of Europe’s leader,” said Wang Yiwei, director of the Centre for European Studies at Renmin University in China.
Analysts say Putin’s decision to station nuclear weapons in Belarus can provide an opportunity for France to push China to distance itself from Russia on this point, Beijing having long denounced nuclear proliferation. French diplomats are playing down the impact the protests at home could have on Macron’s credibility abroad. They point out Xi faced his own protests at the end of last year, in a rare show of civil disobedience over Covid-19 restrictions.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who will be accompanying Macron in Beijing, said the bloc was looking to “de-risk” diplomatically and economically at a time China was exerting greater control over companies, without “decoupling”.
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