For his trip to Europe Xi Jinping chose three countries to visit, France, Serbia and Hungary. A non-random decision because all three nationsfor one reason or another, “they look with suspicion at the post-war world order of the USA”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 26.
(afp)
The New York Times supports it in an editorial in which underlines how Beijing wants to create its own universe in Europe, starting precisely from those countries that could act as a “counterweight” and with which China deems it necessary to strengthen its economic ties. «At a time of tensions with much of Europe – over China’s “unlimited” embrace of Russia despite the war in Ukraine, its surveillance state and its apparent espionage activities which led to the recent arrest in Germany of four people – Xi wants to demonstrate China’s growing influence on the continent and, at the same time, pursue a pragmatic rapprochement», writes the American newspaper.
Xi Jinping arrived in Paris today, with France «he will test the delicate balance between China and the United States. Franco-Chinese relations “have established a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems”the Chinese leader said in a statement released soon after his arrival in Paris.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan in Paris
(afp)
Another issue is Serbia, where it will arrive on Wednesday, not surprisingly coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the deadly NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the Kosovo war. «That mistaken attack on May 7, 1999, for which the White House apologized, killed three Chinese journalists and triggered furious protests around the American embassy in Beijing» writes the NYT.
Xi Jinping’s trip to Europe to relaunch the challenge to the USA Stefano Stefanini 30 April 2024
«For Xi, being in Belgrade is a very cheap way to ask whether the United States really takes international law seriously“, said Janka Oertel, director of the Asia program at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, “and say, what do you say about whether overcoming NATO is a problem for other countries?”
USA-China, the uncomfortable question to President Biden: “Would you still call Xi-Jinping ‘dictator’?”
Finally, Hungary, a friendly country where its prime minister, Viktor Orban, has supported enormous Chinese investments and used his country’s position as a member of the European Union to tone down criticism of China.
(afp)