00:00Today, a significant shift on the global stage.
00:19A moment where Paris and Beijing appear to be moving closer than they have in years.
00:25In a moment where France is quietly but firmly trying to build a counterweight to what many
00:32in Europe see as the return of bully-style politics from Donald Trump.
00:40On December 4th, French President Emmanuel Macron sat down with Chinese President Xi Jinping
00:48in Beijing, the first day of a high-profile, three-day state visit.
00:54The meeting took place in the Great Hall of the People, followed by a business forum and
00:59joint press appearance.
01:02But this wasn't just about economics.
01:05This visit had a deeper strategic purpose.
01:10Macron arrives with a massive delegation.
01:14Leaders from Airbus, BNP, Peribus, Schneider Electric, Alstom and more.
01:21A signal that France wants to keep trade open, even at a time when European tensions with
01:27China are growing.
01:30And yet, behind the smiles, the real story is geopolitical.
01:36Macron is trying to do something no European leader has managed so far.
01:42Pull China into the role of peacemaker in the Ukraine war.
01:47Macron told Xi directly that China's influence over Moscow could be decisive.
01:54He asked Beijing to use its leverage to push Russia toward a ceasefire, especially after
02:01his December 2nd meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
02:06A French diplomat put it in plain terms, China must convince Russia to move toward a ceasefire
02:13as quickly as possible and stop any economic or military support that could keep the war going.
02:22Why does this matter so much?
02:25Because China is Russia's lifeline, its biggest trading partner, its sanctions workaround,
02:32and the only major power Moscow actually listens to.
02:38If anyone can nudge Putin, it's Xi.
02:42During their meeting, Xi did not make hard commitments, but he repeated his message
02:48about supporting political solutions and multilateralism, the same language China uses
02:55when positioning itself as a neutral mediator.
02:59And this is exactly the space Macron wants to expand.
03:04This is another layer, one that is not being said out loud, but is absolutely driving the timing
03:10of this visit.
03:12Europe is worried about the return of Donald Trump, worried that a second term Trump could
03:19mean pressure, unpredictability, and a return to the aggressive America First stance that
03:26many French officials privately describe as bullying.
03:31By strengthening ties with China now, Macron is quietly building insurance, a strategic counterbalance,
03:39a signal that Europe will not be pushed around, whether by Washington or Moscow.
03:47Of course, Macron and Xi also talked about trade, Europe's 3-2057 billion euro deficit with
03:54China, Chinese EV subsidies, in long-stalled Airbus deals.
04:01But on this trip, economics was the side story.
04:06The main narrative was power, a multipolar world, a world where China and France, two independent
04:15major powers, as Xi put it, work together to shape global stability.
04:21A world where Macron hopes Beijing will help deliver something Europe desperately wants,
04:28a pause or even a freeze in the Ukraine war.
04:34But can it work?
04:36China has close to €240 billion in annual trade with Russia, a relationship it will not risk
04:45lightly.
04:46And Beijing's multipolar vision doesn't necessarily align with Europe's.
04:53This is why analysts see this visit as a test, a test whether Macron's strategic gamble
04:59pays off or whether China continues to play both sides.
05:04What is clear is this.
05:07Macron and Xi are presenting themselves as partners against disorder, partners against global bullying,
05:16partners who can, at least in theory, shape the endgame in Ukraine.
05:22And for Europe, facing war on its eastern front and uncertainty in Washington?
05:28China.
05:29This may be the most important gamble of the year.
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