FrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacronisvisitingChinawithadelegationofabout50corporateCEOstoboostbilateralinvestmentandtradeties.HealsohopesthatChinacan"playamajorrole"inbringinganendtotheRussia-Ukraineconflict.

(相关资料图)

UnlikesomeEuropeanstateswhichblindlyfollowtheUnitedStates,Franceisknownforitsmoreindependentforeignpolicy,asinthecaseofitsoppositiontotheUSinvasionofIraqin2003.

ComparedtotheUS,NATOandEUleaders,MacronhasspokenmorepositivelyofChina"s12-pointpositiondocumenttoendtheUkrainecrisisandsaidonWednesdaythatitshowsChinawantsto"buildapathwaytowardpeace".

Fordecades,ChinahasmaintainedfriendlyrelationswithbothRussiaandUkraine.Inthepastyear,ithaskepturgingde-escalationanddiplomaticsolutionstoendtheconflictandrefrainedfromaddingfueltothefire.

Thefactthatmorethan150countrieshaverefusedtojointheWest"ssanctionsagainstRussiashowsthatthevastmajorityofnationswanttheconflicttoendassoonaspossible.

However,itishardtosaywhethersomeWesternleaderswantChinatosuccessfullyplayamoreconstructiveroleinpromotingpeaceandendtheconflict,sinceitwouldstealtheirlimelightandunderminetheirgoalof"weakeningRussia"byexploitingtheconflictand"fightingtothelastUkrainian".

ThefactthattheUS,NATOandEUleadersdidn"tevenacknowledgeChina"sroleinsuccessfullymediatingarapprochementbetweenIranandSaudiArabiarecentlyreflectedthesamenarrow-mindedthinking.

MacronistheonlyEUleaderwhohascalledforprovidingRussiawithasecurityguaranteetoendtheconflict,buthiswordshavenotonlyfailedtoconvinceanyoneinWashingtonorBrusselsbutalsodrawnfireacrossEurope.

EuropeanCommissionPresidentUrsulavonderLeyen,whoisaccompanyingMacrononhisChinavisit,isamorehawkishfigureinpushingforescalationoftheconflict.

LikeNATOandtheUS,theEUhasnotputforwardanymeaningfuldiplomaticplantoendtheconflict,aplanthatwouldaddressbothUkraineandRussia"sconcerns.

Ontheotherhand,vonderLeyen"sspeechlastweekontheEU"sChinapolicyshowsherseriouslackofunderstandingoftoday"sChina.TheblindfingerpointingattheSouthChinaSea,theTaiwanStraitsandatChina"sdomesticandforeignpolicygrosslydistortedfactsandonlymimickedWashington"santi-Chinarhetoric.

Itisgoodforhertostateclearlythat"itisneitherviable,norinEurope"sinterest,todecouplefromChina,"butheremphasison"de-risk"isdeeplyflawedbecausesuchamovewillerodemutualtrustandthereforeincreaserisksinsteadofreducingthem.

ThefactthatChinaandtheEUareeachother"smajortradepartnermeansthattheyarehighlydependentoneachotherandthatisagoodthing.

WhenvonderLeyenmeetsrepresentativesoftheEUChamberofCommerceinChina,theymighttellherthatEUbusinesseshaveparticipatedinmanycriticalinfrastructureprojectsinChinaandChinawelcomedtheminsteadofscaremongeringaboutthem.

TheyshouldtellherthattheChina-EUComprehensiveAgreementonInvestmentwhosenegotiationwasconcludedinDecemberof2020wouldbringmanyone-sidedbenefitstoEUinvestors,sofreezingtheratificationorreassessingtheagreementasvonderLeyencalledforinherspeechlastweekwillonlyunderminetheinterestsofEUbusinesses.

Bilateralinvestmentandtradeisawin-winforbothsidesanditiswrongforsomeEUleaderstothinktheyaredoingafavororcharityforChina.