On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a video summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on climate and health issues. Less than a month after the European Union and China imposed sanctions on each other, Xi’s invitation to the summit was seen as a message of renewed goodwill with the EU, but it was also criticized by public opinion.
French President Emmanuel Macron held a video summit on climate and health issues with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 16. Xi condemned “trade barriers” in the name of climate change in front of Macron and Merkel, while the European Union is considering a carbon tax. Xi said (as quoted by CCTV), “China is willing to strengthen cooperation with France and Germany on addressing climate change, which is a common cause for all mankind and should not become a geopolitical bargaining chip, a target for attacking other countries or an excuse for trade barriers.”
In March, the European Parliament passed a bill to establish a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), deciding that from 2023, countries trading with the EU that do not comply with carbon emissions-related regulations will face carbon tariffs on their exports to the EU. The EU will face carbon tariffs on goods exported to the EU from 2023 if countries do not comply with carbon emission regulations. The EU’s move has raised concerns in China and many developing countries.
Xi reiterated his climate pledge that China, the world’s leading greenhouse gas emitter, will peak its carbon dioxide emissions “by 2030” and become carbon neutral by 2060.
In response to Xi’s pledge that China’s words will be followed by action, the German Federal Chancellery issued a statement in which Merkel and Macron reiterated their welcome for China’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and their support for China’s efforts to meet its short-term emission reduction targets.
The video conference between France, Germany and China took place during the visit of U.S. climate envoy John Kerry to China and ahead of several major international conferences on climate issues, where the three leaders exchanged views on climate issues. 22 to 23 April, U.S. President Joe Biden will invite 40 leaders of countries and international organizations to a climate summit. Analysis suggests that Macron and Merkel do not seem to want Biden and Kerry to take the lead on climate action.
Following Merkel’s call with Xi Jinping last week, the video conference between France, Germany and China is also seen as the latest move towards China by the leaders of another European locomotive. The trilateral climate meeting, seen as an attempt to prevent the “disintegration” of the broader relationship, was also met with much opposition as tensions between Europe and China have risen following mutual sanctions.
Bassam, a researcher at the French Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies, analyzed Friday’s trilateral climate meeting with Xi as a pretext for Macron and Merkel to try to prevent a deterioration in relations between Europe and China. Climate is seen as one of the few areas where cooperation is currently possible. Less than a month after the EU sanctions against China, Xi Jinping wants Germany to be the peacemaker and rework relations with the EU. Germany pulled in France, which has been a staunch supporter of the EU-China Comprehensive Investment Agreement throughout the seven years of negotiations, but the actions of the two countries have left the people and institutions sanctioned by China in a state of discomfort.
He noted that France and Germany want a future relationship with China based on a strategy of cooperation, competition and confrontation, but that China has always viewed European-Chinese relations in the same way that it has pounced on criticism of its human rights policies.
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