US and France should not 'make an issue of China,' Beijing says

Asher Notheis

December 02, 08:51 AM December 02, 08:52 AM

China should not be made into "an issue" by either the United States or France, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in response to a statement from the presidents of the two countries.

French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday, where the two shared a state dinner and discussed numerous topics. In a joint statement, they vowed that the U.S. and France would "coordinate on the concerns regarding China’s challenge to the rules-based international order," a message that was not warmly received by the Asian nation, according to South China Morning Post.

“China is an opportunity for the world,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in response to the statement. “Neither the United States nor France should make an issue of China.”

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The declaration from Biden and Macron was not surprising to many observers of Western relations with China. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in China, described the commitment as “nothing new.”

“International cooperation to contain China is what the Biden administration has been doing since its inauguration, so the joint statement is unsurprising,” said Lee Dong-ryul, a professor of Chinese politics at Dongduk Women’s University located in South Korea. “I think China would retain its original stance as usual, claiming that they are opposed to diplomacy targeting a third country.”

Some of the subjects Biden and Macron addressed included "respect for human rights," as well as "the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Concerns regarding China's treatment of Taiwan, a country China still claims it owns, have escalated since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year.

During Macron's visit to the U.S., Biden also invoked a “shared commitment to liberty” between the U.S. and France, addressing the challenge the two countries have of “facing down Vladimir Putin’s grasping ambition for conquest in Russia and his brutal war against Ukraine, which has once more shattered peace on the continent of Europe.”

Biden invokes 'shared commitment to liberty' in welcoming France's Macron

Katherine Doyle

December 01, 11:03 AM December 01, 11:03 AM

President Joe Biden welcomed President Emmanuel Macron of France to the White House for the first official state visit against a backdrop of the war in Ukraine, tensions over American trade subsidies, and China.

Invoking a “shared commitment to liberty” between the United States and France, Biden ticked through the challenges facing the two nations, including “facing down Vladimir Putin’s grasping ambition for conquest in Russia and his brutal war against Ukraine, which has once more shattered peace on the continent of Europe.”

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Biden delivered his remarks from the White House South Lawn before hundreds of people.

"The Marseillaise" was performed alongside a 21-gun salute followed by "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the leaders greeted one another accompanied by their spouses.

Macron said he was “honored and moved” to be at the White House, outlining the history of U.S.-French relations and a friendship he described as “rooted through the ages.”

He also addressed the president and first lady Jill Biden as “Dear Joe, Dear Jill” while delivering his remarks on the collaborative efforts of both nations in Ukraine, on climate policy, and other global issues.

“As war returns to Europe … we need to become brothers in arms once more,” Macron said.

The trip is Macron’s second state visit to the U.S. since becoming president, the first taking place in April 2018 during the administration of former President Donald Trump.