Chirac puts on the Ritz for China's president
UNITED NATIONS Ñ The French government pulled out all the stops for the visiting PeopleÕs Republic of China President Hu Jintao; the gestures of grandeur and political amity clearly matched the expectations of the visiting Chinese delegation. But beyond a lavish and stylish State Visit, the substance of the tour offered Beijing a unique political benediction and France an equally a significant commercial gain.
PRC President Hu Jintao was afforded the rare honor to address the National AssemblyÑone of the few foreign heads of state ever to do so. So in Paris and in the political pantheon of Liberty, Fraternity, and Equality the President of the worldÕs largest dictatorship addressed the French deputies! But not without withering domestic controversary Ñ half the deputies from all different political parties boycotted the session.
French President Jacques Chirac while making a pro forma reference, ÒRespect for human rights is a necessary condition for the development of modern societies and economies,Ó then repeated the classic Chinese mantraÑstating his opposition to democratic TaiwanÕs planned referendum on the Beijing military threat. More surprisingly he called for lifting the European Union (EU) arms embargo on the PRC which was imposed in 1989 after the communist crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square.
Towards this end, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin was in the EU capital Brussels making the case to lift the arms embargo. He described the embargo which speaks Òof a past state of relations with the EU and China, which today is a privileged partner of the Union, and holds a major and responsible place in the international system.Ó
Many EU members donÕt share French enthusiasm among them Britain, the Netherlands, and Denmark who oppose selling weapons to Mainland China. In any event the EU will not vote on the issue until well after Taiwan holds elections in late March.
But the lavish presentation for the Beijing delegation was decidedly bottom line too.
The newspaper Le Monde reported that France signed beaucoup commercial contracts with China including the super speed TGV train between Beijing and Shanghai, four new nuclear plants, and thirty Airbus aircraft. And should the military embargo be lifted, yet another surge of arms contracts for French industry.
HuÕs state visit to France at the start of the Chinese New Year was highly significant in many ways. This was to celebrate the start of the French ÒYear of ChinaÓÑ a social and cultural extravaganza Ñ as much as to ink the bottom line of business contracts. Historically France and China have been close; an enduring French fascination with Chinoiserie endures in culture and the arts to this day.
But beyond commerce thereÕs a crucial if overlooked reason Jacques Chirac chose to lavish extra political and rhetorical favors on the visitor from Beijing. Given the French view that singular American power is a destabilizing global force, Chirac looks to the multi-polar political world where ascendant powers like the PeopleÕs Republic of China would counterbalance the USA. Chirac has pledged to reinforce the Òstrategic partnershipÓ between Paris and Beijing which dates from 1997.
Thus the tilt to Mainland China (not that many in the USA donÕt do exactly the same thing) focuses on a backhanded snub to Washington. In the countdown to the Iraq conflict, communist China opposed the Anglo/American diplomatic actions in the UN, though far less vocally than France.
Indeed BeijingÕs Marxist mandarins and the mandarin of the Elysee excel in the grand and grandiose, and the politically theatrical. Fine, but far more interesting is the gathering entente among states seeking to form geopolitical alliances to offset American power.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense
issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.  |
