‘When Europe bowed to Beijing’

This is apropos two back-to-back letters to the Editor from this writer carried by the newspaper on Monday and yesterday. During the three-day visit, French President Macron and Chinese President Xi discussed trade, green technologies, electric vehicles, aviation, nuclear cooperation, cultural exchanges, and the stabilization of global supply chains.

Agreements were signed in areas ranging from energy and research to industrial collaboration and environmental commitments. Though the details were not broadcast loudly, the essence was unmistakable: Europe seeks economic security, industrial revival, and strategic autonomy, and it sees China as an indispensable partner in each of these domains. These discussions were not superficial. They were rooted in Europe’s urgent need to recalibrate its future at a time when American unpredictability has left Europe exposed.

What makes Macron’s visit even more striking is not the content of the agreements but the symbolism behind them. Macron may have spoken publicly of strategic balance, but his mere presence in China—touring cultural sites with Xi, engaging business leaders, and emphasising cooperation—conveyed a deeper truth: Europe is shifting.

No longer does Europe see China only through the prism of competition. It sees China as a stabilizing force in a world where the old order is disintegrating. It recognizes that China’s diplomacy, unlike America’s, is grounded in stability, continuity, and long-term planning. It acknowledges that China solves conflicts with time and patience rather than sanctions and threats.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025