“He is not our friend”: Raphael Glucksmann criticized the “red carpet” laid out for the Chinese President

“He’s not our friend.” Socialist candidate for the European elections, Raphael Glucksmann, invited to RTL on Tuesday, strongly condemned the ceremonial reception given to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has been visiting France since Sunday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in Beijing and Paris.

One leftist figure in the June election deplored the head of state’s enthusiasm for the presidential visit: “We can absolutely host the Chinese president in France, but we don’t treat him as a friend.” Rather, he advocates “establishing a balance of power.”

The ceremony was considered “obsequious”

“This is a man who deports the Uighurs, who represses the people of Hong Kong, who represses the Tibetans,” he complained. He also called the Chinese president, again on RTL, “Vladimir Putin’s main supporter of the war.” A war that threatens “the entire European continent.”

In an open letter to the head of state published on Monday in the columns of Le Monde, Raphaël Glucksmann also criticized Emmanuel Macron for “rolling out the red carpet” in an “obsequious” manner for the “dictator.” In this letter, he also draws a parallel with his “five-year charm offensive” on Vladimir Putin, which ended in “failure.” Before the invasion of Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron actually welcomed him alternately at his official residence in Bregançon, on the Côte d’Azur or at the Château de Versailles.

Emmanuel Macron is taking Xi Jinping to the Pyrenees on Tuesday, the second day of his state visit, for a “personal” getaway that is expected to allow for more direct dialogue on the war in Ukraine or trade disputes.

“Our French mountains,” “I hope will continue to inspire us,” the French president lyrically began on Monday as he welcomed his Chinese counterpart to Paris for the first time since 2019. He said he looked forward to the Hautes-Pyrénées (south-west) for “fruitful and friendly discussions”.