China is 'divide and conquer' Europe

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: Getty

Philippe le Corre, an expert at the Harvard Kennedy School, said the French leader's first official visit to China is noteworthy because at this time other leaders of the Western world are "grappling" with domestic problems.

In fact, Mr Macron appears as “a leader of Europe at this moment”.

Meanwhile, Alicia Garcia-Herrero, an economist specializing in the Asia-Pacific region at Natixis bank (France), said that the French President "is aiming for a special strategic partnership" with China, emphasizing that Chinese consumers are "hungry" for what France has to offer.

This expert commented that during the presidential election campaign, the French leader had a "somewhat negative" approach towards China, through promoting the establishment of a European-level investment protection agency.

But Mr Macron has not pursued this further since becoming president. Instead, the French leader appears to have taken a different approach to China.

This expert commented that for China, France's shift to tighten relations could benefit Beijing's position in Europe.

A “divide and conquer” strategy would help diversify China’s power, amid rising anti-China sentiment in Germany, which plays a leading role in Europe.

During his three-day official visit, Mr. Macron pursued business interests with China, but he also urged strengthening a reciprocal trade relationship./.