Xi Jinping landed on the French Riviera and in Nice Macron as soon as he met the Chinese president said: "I am happy to welcome you to France". The agenda is packed with a bilateral meeting at the Elysée, signing of commercial agreements and then a state dinner. Tomorrow the meeting at the Elysée with Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
A meeting to make China understand that dialogue is with the European Union. Clear the thrust towards Italy which, instead, had bilateral talks and meetings with the Asian country.
Macron, in fact, as a mantra has been repeating for a week: "there is a very important European aspect to Xi's visit, and this means that Europe as such must be a united and reliable partner for China on the major issues of multilateralism and that there must be a strong Euro-Chinese discussion".
The Chinese delegation said that Macron and Xi will have exchanges on Franco-Chinese and Euro-Chinese relations, as well as on international and regional issues of common interest.
Xi in France, as reported by "Il Mattino" will not only speak of high-speed trains, of Airbus - China will buy 184 for 15 billion - or of Thales, which hopes to strengthen its presence in the equipment for airliners, but also of diplomatic, economic and international relations principles.
Another novelty is that a 2019 agreement will become operational and will make Monaco the first country to have 5G, thanks to a partnership between Huawei and Monaco Telecom. Alberto di Monaco is enthusiastic, he soon wants to make Monte Carlo a super-connected smart city and Xi Jinping hopes to use Monaco as a Trojan horse for Huawei's entry into Europe.
Strong resentment from Germany
The Foreign Minister of Germany, Heiko, in an interview with the German newspaper "Die Welt" criticized Italy's participation in the New Silk Road: "If "some countries" believe they are "doing smart business with the Chinese, they will be surprised and awakened in their dependence on China".
The German minister refers to the memorandum of understanding signed yesterday, March 23, in Rome by the minister of economic development, Luigi Di Maio, and by the president of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, He Lifeng, in the presence of the head of the Giuseppe Conte government and the president of China, Xi Jinping. According to Maas, the object of the memorandum is the synthesis of "short-term profitable offers", As well as those related to the mega-infrastructure project on a global scale developed by China could reveal"a bitter aftertaste more quickly than expected". Furthermore, according to the German Foreign Minister, he adds, "if we intend to defend our interests, we can do it exclusively with other Europeans ", while China pursues its own" with absolute determination".