After Visiting Beijing Macron Chickens Out

• Macron's remarks come on heels of visit to China this week
• he praised Beijing's role in international arena 
• underlined bilateral French-Chinese relations 

• Macron urges Europe to stay out of US feud over Taiwan
• Europe should not conform to "American rhythm" Macron said 
• question for Europe is: are we interested in forced solution to Taiwan? No. 
• worst thing would be to think that Europe should follow American rhythm 
• Why must we move at the pace chosen by others? aked Macron 
• Macron said Europe need to "wake up", think about their own interests
• Macron says, 'Europe's view on Taiwan should be independent'
• Our priority is not to adapt to agenda of other countries 
• Sputnik

My Comments :

Here is a quick video of French president Macron meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Guangzhou just a few days ago.

This meeting should be made a case study of  body language.

Do watch the short video first.

You can observe Macron sitting upright and at the edge of the chair, out of obvious deference and regard for Xi Jinping. Or it could be a Mat Salleh ploy to appease the native chief. 

This is 2023 so the usual Mat Salleh gifts of glass beads and metal trinkets for the native chief are missing. Because the Chinese now manufacture all the world's trinkets. 

1517: The Portuguese merchant Fernão Pires de Andrade establishes the first European trade post on the Chinese coast at Tamão in the Zhujiang (Pearl River) estuary and then in Canton (Guangzhou).

Despite the passage of 500 years  the gwailohs still come with their gunboats and cannons. Havent they learned anything?

But the person to watch closely in the video here is Xi Jinping. Certainly the Lord of the Manor. This meeting was held in some glorious botanical garden in Guangzhou that is possibly older than French civilisation itself and perhaps half the size of Paris or something.  

China's GDP is close to US$14.0 TRILLION while the French GDP is less than US$3.0 TRILLION. The Chinese economy is FIVE times larger than France. And you can see the extreme confidence of President Xi Jinping as he entertains the gwailoh pirate cum haberdasher.  

• biggest deal was Airbus extra assembly line in Tianjin to double capacity 
• France's EDF renewed 2017 agreement with Chinese nuclear leader CGN 
• Suez won contract for seawater desalination project
• L’Oréal struck 3-year deal with Alibaba 

Perhaps Macron has come to his senses that it is easier to sell nuclear reactors and Airbus jets than using gunboats to force the Chinese to buy opium. Nowadays the Chinese also make and sell gunboats. 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.