Beijing also Wednesday praised Macron’s remarks, saying it was “not surprised” by the negative reaction from some in the West.
“Some countries do not want to see other nations become independent and self-reliant, and instead always want to coerce other countries into obeying their will,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing.
“An insistence on strategic autonomy wins more respect and more friends, while coercion and pressure only brings more resistance and opposition,” he added.
But such triumphant Chinese perspectives have also been tempered by more sober voices contending that geopolitical realities necessitate that France and Europe remain largely aligned with the United States.
Hu Xijin, a prominent political commentator and former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, wrote Monday on Weibo that – despite Macron’s rosy comments – it was “unrealistic” for China to think France would side with it in future confrontations with Washington.
Europe and the United States “have shared values and are bound together by NATO,” wrote Hu.
“But we can firmly believe that as long as China treats European countries reasonably and fairly while the US forces them to oppose China, conflicts between their strategic interests will rise to the surface.”
Other online commentators were more cynical about the reasoning behind Macron’s comments.
“What’s the use?” wrote one Weibo user. “He’ll say one thing when he comes here to earn economic benefits, then do another when he gets the money. It’s been like this for decades.”
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