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Could China-Europe tensions be easing with a flurry of French and EU diplomacy?
The French foreign minister and EU trade chief have been in Beijing to mend fences on trade and Ukraine
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China and Europe seem to be taking a more pragmatic approach to their relationship as the Trump administration alienates US allies, but big differences remain over trade and Ukraine.
That was the assessment of a number of analysts following a flurry of diplomatic activity in Beijing on Thursday, including visits by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and European Union trade chief Maros Sefcovic.
Barrot first held talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during which both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change. They also agreed to hold high-level dialogues this year on strategic, economic and financial affairs, and pledged to deepen ties in agriculture, nuclear energy, and aerospace.
In a not-so-veiled swipe at the United States, they noted “the regression of certain countries from scientific consensus and their withdrawal from multilateral institutions will only strengthen our determination and actions”.
But there was some tensions on trade, with Barrot noting during the post-talks press conference that Paris was eyeing a “rapid solution” to Beijing’s tariffs on EU brandy imports, which China imposed in response to EU duties on Chinese electric vehicles.
There were also signs that France wanted China to do more to help end the Ukraine conflict, with Barrot saying that China could play a role in “convincing” Russia to come to the negotiating table with “serious and good-faith proposals”.
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