Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Europe after five years as he toured France, Serbia and Hungary in the first week of May 2024. As expected, his five-day visit to Europe after such a long gap has created curiosity in the global diplomatic circles. As President Xi courted France, experts have advised India to make its position clear to the European partners.
In Paris, President Xi held talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron to discuss various bilateral and international issues. According to French official sources, the two leaders made an attempt to resolve a problem related to the trade agreement between China and the European Union (EU). However, some European media outlets reported that President Xi and President Macron mainly discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. It may be noted that France has maintained a distance with Russia since the beginning of the war (on February 24, 2022). During the Chinese President's recent visit to Paris, the French President reportedly requested President Xi not to back Russia!
Like the US, many European countries, including France, have stood against Russia in its war against Ukraine. They have also backed Ukraine in the UN, apart from expressing concern about China's friendly ties with Russia. In 2022, the EU imposed economic sanctions on Moscow immediately after Russia attacked Ukraine. However, Beijing decided to maintain cordial ties with the Kremlin.
According to sources close to the Macron Administration, the French President urged his Chinese guest to convince Russia to resolve the conflict with Ukraine. Political analysts are not sure whether President Xi would accept the request made by the French President. During his visit to Beijing in 2023, President Macron had urged President Xi to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy. It was also decided that President Xi would meet his Ukrainian counterpart. However, the move failed to break the ice. In such a scenario, many consider the Chinese President's recent visit to France a diplomatically important one. A section of diplomats has claimed that President Xi's visit was an attempt (of China) to undermine European unity.
Meanwhile, Beijing has claimed that China and France signed 18 agreements in Paris, saying that the President's visit to France was an outcome of the improving ties between the Asian Giant and the European Union (EU). Furthermore, the visiting President invited President Macron to boost bilateral trade ties. According to Beijing, the two leaders discussed the Ukraine War and bilateral trade ties during their meeting. However, Beijing made no comments on the French request on the Ukraine issue.
Currently, India is engaged in a cold war with China as the former is trying hard to stop Chinese aggression on its border regions. Since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the relationship between the two Asian neighbours has been tense. The border tension between China and India has taken a new turn in the past decade. Political analysts are of the opinion that border disputes, the influence of global politics, etc., have contributed to the rise in tension. There is also an intense competition between China and India at the international stage as both the countries want to become a dominant global player. India is making a serious attempt to maintain strong ties with the Indian Ocean countries in order to challenge the Chinese hegemony in this region. India's cordial ties with Australia, Japan and the US have started posing a threat to China. China, too, is heavily dependent on the Indian Ocean for trade and defence purposes. However, China's ties with the US have touched a new low in recent times.
India maintains friendly relations with France, too. From nuclear tests to tussle with China, India has always received support from France. In 2019, France reiterated its support for India as the Permanent Member of the powerful UN Security Council, saying that the UNSC's enlargement was the "first crucial part" towards its reform. France did not join the embargo imposed by Western nations on India over the latter's nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. Also, France was the first country to pledge military assistance to India during its border dispute with China in 2020. The two countries have always respected democratic traditions, and have never interfered in each other's internal affairs.
If President Xi accepts the request made by President Macron over the Ukraine issue, then New Delhi has ample reason to worry about France's support in the future. According to some diplomats, China will never accept France's request in any way and India has no reason to worry about President Xi's recent visit to Paris. However, global geopolitics is constantly changing and no one can predict the future developments, correctly. Speaking at an event in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata on May 14, 2024, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reportedly said that the world was going through a transition phase. While the old World Order has fallen, a new World Order is yet to take a final shape. Hence, it would be crucial to monitor each and every development as far as international relations are concerned, stressed Dr Jaishankar.
Boundless Ocean of Politics on Facebook
Boundless Ocean of Politics on Twitter
Boundless Ocean of Politics on Linkedin
Contact: kousdas@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment