Xi’s visit builds a crucial bridgehead into Europe

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s decision to visit France, Serbia and Hungary for his first European tour in five years was no random choice.

France is a nuclear power, a member of NATO and one of the leading powers of the European Union (EU). Serbia is neither an EU nor NATO member. Hungary is a member of both, but it is one of the European community’s smaller states.

However, from a Chinese perspective, the three countries have several important common features. Not least, all three have reservations about American policy. And each of the three states, albeit in different ways, is dissatisfied with the EU.

Furthermore, the three are concerned about the problems caused by global economic challenges. And finally, the three countries want to reposition themselves in the ongoing geostrategic realignment.

“Europe must reduce its dependence on the United States and avoid being dragged into the conflict between China and the United States over Taiwan,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview he gave on board his plane a year ago after returning from a three-day state visit to China.

“Europe needs strategic autonomy to become a superpower under the leadership of France. There is a big risk that Europe will get involved in a crisis that has nothing to do with it. This will prevent the EU from building its strategic autonomy,” Macron said.

The global geostrategic reorganization is already underway and France is looking for its place in the new circumstances.

Germany’s economy is constantly weakening, so Berlin’s international influence is decreasing, and its leading role in the EU has practically been called into question. France wants to fill the vacancy.

An important element of the Paris plan is for the EU to move