Macron hosts Xi in French mountains

AFP | La Mongie, France

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a high altitude lunch at a childhood haunt in the Pyrenees mountains, pressing a message to Beijing not to support Russia’s war against Ukraine and to accept fairer trade.

The first day of Xi’s state visit to France, his first to Europe since 2019, saw respectful but sometimes robust exchanges between the two men during a succession of talks on Monday.

Macron, joined initially by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urged Xi not to allow the export of any technology that could be used by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and asked Beijing to do all it could to end the war.

Xi, for his part, warned the West not to “smear” China over the conflict and also hit back at accusations that Chinese overcapacity was causing global trade imbalances.

Macron welcomed Xi to a mountain restaurant outside the village of Bagnere-de-Bigorre to explore these issues in relative privacy and enjoy local delicacies.

While born and brought up in the north of France, the young “Manu” spent numerous winter and summer holidays with his late maternal grandparents in the area just below the Col du Tourmalet, over 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level and a legendary climb in the Tour de France cycling race.

The inclement weather -- with flurries of snow and mist blocking the spectacular views -- left the leaders and their wives, Brigitte Macron and Peng Liyuan, firmly entrenched under umbrellas as they watched local dances.

But they were also all smiles as they enjoyed local wine in the cosy chalet-style restaurant, with Macron offering gifts including berets and a Tour de France yellow jersey.

“Emmanuel Macron’s diplomacy has always relied, perhaps excessively, on the power of seduction,” said Bertrand Badie, specialist in international relations at Sciences Po university, warning that Xi was not known for “sentimentality”.