Xi heads to Europe to defend Russia ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron met successful China successful April 2023. Photo: Thibault Camus / POOL/AFP
Source: AFP

Xi Jinping heads to Europe connected Sunday to support China's "no limits" confederation with Russia, archetypal to cardinal Ukraine backer France, past to Serbia and Hungary, which person adjacent ties to the Kremlin.

The world's second-biggest system is seeking to deepen governmental and economical ties successful Europe to counterbalance hard relations with rival Washington.

But analysts accidental that if France and different Ukraine allies successful Europe judge that Xi can beryllium coaxed into abandoning his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they volition beryllium disappointed.

Despite French President Emmanuel Macron's reddish carpet invited for Xi erstwhile helium arrives connected Sunday, their talks volition beryllium acold from straightforward.

In Paris connected Monday, Xi and Macron volition clasp talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has urged Beijing to play a greater relation successful ending the Ukraine war.

"If the European broadside expects China to enforce sanctions connected Russia, oregon to articulation the United States and Europe successful imposing economical sanctions connected Russia, I deliberation it's intelligibly improbable to happen," said Ding Chun, manager of the Centre for European Studies astatine Shanghai's Fudan University.

Xi is seeking to propulsion backmost connected caller European Union probes into China's industry, but France has made wide that "first and foremost" connected the docket volition beryllium Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.

China claims to beryllium a neutral enactment successful Ukraine but has ne'er condemned Russia's invasion, portion the United States has said Moscow would conflict to prolong its warfare without Beijing's support.

Beijing is "the planetary subordinate with the top leverage to alteration Moscow's mind", a French diplomat told AFP connected information of anonymity.

"Paris volition enactment China's enactment to Russia astatine the halfway of the discussion," said Abigael Vasselier, astatine the Mercator Institute for China Studies.

"This volition surely not beryllium conducive to a feel-good moment, contempt the optics."

How acold volition Xi go?

Xi and Russia's President Vladimir Putin person adjacent ties; present they are seen successful Beijing successful 2023. Photo: Pedro PARDO / AFP
Source: AFP

Xi's sojourn to Europe volition beryllium the archetypal since the extremity of China's Covid isolation.

It besides comes a twelvemonth aft Macron conducted a authorities sojourn to China successful April 2023, during which helium said helium was counting connected Xi to "bring Russia to its senses" implicit Ukraine.

At the time, Macron exasperated European allies by saying the bloc should not beryllium dragged into a struggle betwixt China and its main rival the United States implicit Taiwan -- portion earning praise successful Beijing implicit the comments.

In February this year, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited France and told Macron that Beijing appreciated its "independent overseas policy".

"We volition spot however acold Xi Jinping volition spell to delight Emmanuel Macron," said Valerie Niquet, from the Foundation for Strategic Research.

After helium ends his European trip, Xi volition instrumentality to China, with Putin expected to sojourn aboriginal successful May.

"China volition not budge connected Ukraine," Niquet said.

'Price to pay'

While Macron and von der Leyen volition question to absorption connected Ukraine, Xi volition privation to combat a bid of probes launched by the bloc into alleged unfair commercialized practices by China.

The investigations tally the gamut crossed China's concern output, from star panels and electrical conveyance subsidies, to procurement successful its aesculapian devices sector.

Beijing has slammed the moves arsenic "protectionism".

"The Chinese broadside is precise keen to bring this to the table, but France is down the European Commission plans," Philippe Le Corre, from the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, told AFP.

"It is clip for European leaders to explicate to China that the terms to wage for its increasing enactment to Russia's warfare effort volition increase," the Mercator Institute's Vasselier said.

'Eastern opening'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping, seen during a gathering successful 2019 successful Beijing. Photo: Andrea VERDELLI / POOL/AFP
Source: AFP

From France, Xi volition caput to Serbia, and past Hungary connected May 8-10.

The sojourn to the Serbian superior Belgrade volition coincide with the day of the 1999 US bombing of the Chinese embassy determination -- allowing for Xi to nonstop a pointed anti-Western message.

China has invested heavy to grow its economical footprint successful cardinal and eastbound Europe, including immense artillery and electrical conveyance (EV) manufacturing plants successful Hungary, and copper and golden operations successful Serbia.

"The program to commemorate the... NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy... besides paves the mode for Putin's sojourn to China: NATO is simply a menace to planetary security," said Wang Yiwei, manager of the Center for European Union Studies astatine Renmin University of China.

In Budapest, helium volition conscionable Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an avowed nationalist who opposes the authoritative EU presumption connected Russia.

Orban has been championing an "Eastern opening" overseas argumentation since his instrumentality to powerfulness successful 2010, seeking person economical ties to China, Russia and different Asian countries.

Despite its tiny size, the Central European state of 9.6 cardinal radical has attracted a flood of large Chinese projects successful caller years.

Orban spoke past period spoke astir his imaginativeness for a "sovereignist world", wherever the "global system is organised non-ideologically on the lines of communal benefit."

Source: AFP