French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in France with demands for “reciprocity” and “balanced and fair trade” in light of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Italy’s surprising decision to join it.
Macron hosted Xi for a three-day state visit while also urging the European Union member states to present a united front when it comes to tackling China’s global ambitions.
Before going to France, Xi was in its neighbor Italy causing an uproar in the West as Italy became the first G-7, EU heavyweight, and major Western power to join his Belt and Road Initiative.
France as well as Germany, the EU institutions in Brussels, and the United States have had concerns over Chinese infrastructure investments and their consequences in terms of political influence, control of transport hubs, and access to sensitive technology.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the signature foreign policy project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has now been joined by 14 EU member states, mostly from Eastern and Southern Europe.