French President Emmanuel Macron, who believes that personal relationships are the key to diplomacy, lured President Xi Jinping of China into a 7,000-foot high pass in the Pyrenees on Tuesday, hoping to show off. appeared the sweeping vision that marked his childhood, but instead found thick fog and fierce snowfalls.
It was a long, slippery road up the mountain, in torrential rain, but that didn’t stop crowds of Chinese fans holding red flags and pennants from gathering in most of the villages along the way, moving to a magically remote region of southwest France. seemed uniform in their enthusiasm.
Undeterred, but arriving two hours late, Mr. Macron held an umbrella to greet Mr. Xi at one of his favorite restaurants, “L’Étape du Berger,” or “Shepherd’s Station,” where dancers in costume Colorful local costumes twirl and dance to the sounds of flutes, accordions and tom-toms.
Mr. Xi appeared calm, but his wife, Ms. Peng Liyuan, smiled brightly and clapped her hands.
Using the familiar “tu” form to address Mr. Xi, 70, instead of the formal “vous” common among heads of state, Mr. Macron, 46, gave the Chinese leader a gift. yellow jersey signed by last year’s Tour de France winner, Jonas Vingegaard, a Danish cyclist.
“I know how much you love sports,” Mr. Macron said. Mr. Xi is known to love football.
The Col du Tourmalet, where the leaders meet, has mythical status in the Tour de France; Its steep and winding ascent is a severe challenge. It is also a place dear to Mr. Macron, who comes here often from his hometown in northern France to stay at the nearby home of his grandmother, Germaine Nogues, the member of his family about whom he speaks the most. .
Eric Abédie, chef and friend of Mr. Macron, offered a lunch of ham — cured for 24 months, from the region’s black pigs — lamb shoulder and blueberry tart. Cheese and fine wine abound. The ham dish, served as an aperitif, made a particular impression on Xi, who said he would promote it in his home country. The atmosphere is festive, intimate and comfortable as Mr. Macron wanted.
Exactly what it will achieve is another matter. During two days of talks, Mr. Xi smiled a lot but offered little, especially when Europe asked him to help end the war in Ukraine. With a succession of leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir V. Putin and Donald J. Trump, the former US president, Mr. Macron has demonstrated faith in his power of seduction but has either been rebuffed or ignore.
French officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with diplomatic practice, said Mr. Macron had forged a unique, close relationship with Mr. Xi since they first met as presidents six years ago. last year, giving him the opportunity to access the profound thinking of the French government. The Chinese leader that no Western power has.
They pointed to a joint Sino-French statement on the Middle East, issued on Monday, condemning all forms of terrorism, including the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, as evidence of its reach. the importance of this relationship at a time of great global uncertainty.
Others have a different view. “You can seduce voters,” said Bertrand Badie, an international relations expert at Sciences Po University in Paris, noting that Mr. Macron has done so more than once. “It’s difficult to translate that into the complexities of international relations,” even if “a new partnership with China” is a worthy goal.
The lunch was private, with only four people for the two leaders and their wives. It was planned for a rooftop terrace, but for obvious reasons that was a non-starter. The idea is for both sides to speak freely and frankly.
Little was filtered, but officials said human rights issues in China were raised by Mr. Macron both Monday and Tuesday, although no mention was made in the communiqué.
The question became especially delicate after Valérie Heyer, who will lead Mr. Macron’s losing Renaissance Party in next month’s European Parliament elections, described China’s treatment of Uyghurs. Wu’er in the northwestern Xinjiang region in the harshest words.
In an interview with Sud Radio this week, she said her personal view is that it is “very likely” that Chinese oppression amounted to genocide. French officials did not comment but said Mr. Macron did not use this word.
However, they noted that the wine served was the 2008 Jean-Luc Colombo vintage, the year of the Beijing Olympics, and that its “red robe” or red dress was reminiscent of the name of a famous Chinese tea produced in Fujian province. , which was once run by Mr. Xi.
Diplomacy is a delicate business, at least as practiced by the French.
