On May 5th to 9th, the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, visited France, Serbia, and Hungary, with the party media vigorously promoting his activities. However, as the top leader of the CCP was overseas, he couldn’t control the foreign media and public opinion, resulting in some awkward moments being captured.
On May 5th, Xi Jinping’s special plane arrived at the Paris airport where the French Prime Minister welcomed him with a red carpet rolled out from the terminal to the plane, a customary diplomatic etiquette.
Moving on to May 6th, Xi Jinping went to the Elysee Palace to meet with French President Macron. Macron greeted him at the entrance, but the red carpet was only laid out for a very short distance, causing Xi Jinping’s car to stop next to the carpet, making it awkward for him to step on it.
The shortened red carpet at the Elysee Palace might not be due to a lack of understanding of etiquette by the French, but rather a deliberate effort to maintain the original charm of the palace. The palace’s courtyard still retains its original sandy stone pavement, rather than being modernized with square tiles. Although this might appear humble to the CCP, it holds historical significance for France.
The absence of a red carpet at the entrance of the Elysee Palace might be due to the fact that cars can drive directly into the courtyard up to the palace’s entrance, thus requiring only a small section of carpet. However, such scenes cannot be shown on Chinese state media like CCTV and Xinhua, as it might be interpreted as a slight towards the CCP leader. Similar situations were noticed during the welcome ceremonies.
On May 6th, Macron held a formal welcome ceremony for Xi Jinping at Les Invalides in Paris, where the traditional red carpet was notably missing.
Les Invalides is also a historic site that used to be a hospital for receiving and treating veterans and disabled soldiers, housing Napoleon’s tomb and serving as the French Military Museum, making it a tourist attraction. The site has preserved its original stone pavement, showcasing reverence for history in the eyes of the French. Walking on such a surface with laid out red carpet would likely be challenging and less visually appealing, perhaps even hazardous.
In contrast to Macron’s visit to China a year ago, where a long red carpet was laid out during his welcome ceremony, the absence of the red carpet during Xi Jinping’s visit to France seemed lacking and raised questions.
During the trilateral meeting on the morning of May 6th between Xi Jinping, Macron, and European Commission President von der Leyen, Xi Jinping was seen with several papers laid out on the table, mostly reading from a script, indicating a contrasting style with the other two who appeared more spontaneous. Macron and von der Leyen had their notes prepared, likely detailing key points of the meeting, but they did not refer to them while speaking. Macron delivered his speech without looking at notes, while Xi Jinping continued to read from his.
Xi Jinping’s visit to France coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Back in 1964, during the Cold War, France was the first Western power to establish diplomatic ties with the CCP. However, after 60 years, relations between the two countries seem to have encountered numerous challenges. At a time when Western countries are united in countering the CCP, there is a considerable reluctance to invite the top CCP leader for visits, leading to criticisms faced by Macron during Xi Jinping’s visit.
Macron believes it’s necessary to pressure the CCP leader directly to prevent Chinese support for Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and also to discuss issues related to fair trade. The substantive discussions between the two leaders appeared difficult, evident from their serious expressions during the talks, indicating a tense atmosphere devoid of the celebratory aura expected during the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations.
Moreover, one detail that attracted more attention was the placement of a black cup in front of Xi Jinping, standing out from the others, leading to speculations that he still harbors concerns about being poisoned. Some observers even analyzed Xi Jinping’s walking posture, suggesting a prior stroke incident.
These are the details that the CCP media desperately tried to avoid, but were promptly captured by foreign media reporters, leaving the CCP with no recourse.
In November 2023, Xi Jinping visited the United States for the APEC summit in San Francisco and met with Biden, where the presence of numerous Chinese faces among the protesters created memorable scenes. Some of these Chinese individuals attempted to cause disturbances, hurl insults, and engage in physical altercations.
During Xi Jinping’s visit to Paris, attention was drawn to a diverse group of protesters from various ethnicities, including representatives from Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, Uighurs, Tibetans, among others.
When the CCP leader visits abroad, Chinese embassies and consulates usually hire Chinese nationals and students to participate in welcoming activities. However, due to increased efforts in countering foreign influence by Western countries, the CCP in France likely refrained from causing disruptions, and no reports were seen of attempts to disturb the protests.
During Xi Jinping’s visit to Hungary, the true intentions of some so-called “welcomers” were captured by the media, revealing insincere expressions and postures that didn’t reflect genuine “welcome.” Some individuals were uniformly dressed, appearing more organized than genuinely spontaneous.
Given Hungary’s close ties with the CCP, the Chinese embassy in the area might act more confidently, limiting space for protesters and making it more challenging to stage protests. Despite these circumstances, protesters still made their presence known, likely receiving protection from the police.
Accompanied by Cai Qi during his visit, Xi Jinping might be concerned about turmoil in the South China Sea. As reported, from May 7th to 9th, Chinese State Council Premier Li Keqiang conducted research in Xinjiang, while State Council Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang visited Dalian and Shenyang in Liaoning. Additionally, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning visited Guangxi from May 6th to 8th.
With Xi Jinping and Cai Qi out of Beijing, the other three members of the Politburo Standing Committee were also directed to leave the South China Sea. It appears that the CCP leader has doubts about their allegiance and is wary of potential mischief in his absence, hence their assignments to conduct research outside of Beijing. It remains unknown where the remaining two Standing Committee members, Zhao Leji and Li Xi, are currently located. Xi’s trusted Ministers of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong, and State Security, Chen Yixin, should be closely monitoring key figures.
During the March National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, mysterious gazes were captured between Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, indicating a mutual wariness that might be even more heightened now.
Xi Jinping must guard against the person described in the “Tui Bei Tu” prophecy who bears a bow, which naturally leads to suspicions towards Li Keqiang, whose name contains the character for “strong” which is associated with “bow.” Additionally, Xi should also be wary of Wang Huning, known for his cunning tactics and history of mischief, possibly indicating future risks targeting Xi.
In conclusion, the CCP leader’s foreign visits are fraught with internal and external distractions, revealing a series of awkward moments that cannot be concealed. The resilience of the CCP regime might be dwindling, as its days could be numbered.
【Source: Dajiyuan – First Release】