Macron's ping-pong diplomacy covers up unsuccessful visit to China

During his fourth official visit to China, Emmanuel Macron engaged in lighthearted diplomacy, involving pandas and table tennis, and was warmly received by enthusiastic crowds. However, the French president struggled to achieve progress on critical issues such as Ukraine and trade with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

On Friday, breaking from standard protocol, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan escorted Macron and his wife Brigitte to Chengdu, Chinas fourth-largest city. There, the French president received a notably warm reception from hundreds of students and local residents outside Sichuan Universitys sports stadium.

Macron expressed that he was deeply moved by the enthusiastic greeting. Earlier in the day, he had gone for a morning jog near a nearby lake with his security team. The visit to Chengdu marked a rare gesture not extended to former US President Donald Trump, whose visit in 2017 was limited to Beijing.

The Macrons also toured the historic Dujiangyan Dam, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Sichuan province. Brigitte Macron visited the Chengdu giant panda research center, where she met Yuan Meng, the first giant panda born in France and now returned to China. China has pledged to send two new pandas to France by 2027 to replace those returned.

Meanwhile, Macron met French table tennis players Alexis and Felix Lebrun, bronze medalists at the 2024 Paris Olympics, who were competing in China for the mixed team World Cup.

Despite the friendly atmosphere, Macrons visit produced minimal substantive outcomes. A meeting in Beijing on Thursday resulted in 12 cooperation agreements covering topics like population ageing, nuclear energy, and panda conservation, but no financial figures were announced. China did not commit to a large Airbus purchase, a move that could affect trade negotiations with the US. Additionally, no concessions were made for French cognac or pork producers, nor was there progress on Ukraine, as China continues to support Russia.

Recent visits by other European leaders, including Spains King Felipe VI and Germanys finance minister Lars Klingbeil, have similarly yielded limited results.

During his trip, Macron challenged the narrative of a declining West. Some claim Europe is old, that the G7 countries are arrogant, and that the West looks down on the Global South. These are fabrications, he stated.

Author: Sophia Brooks