Amid the trade war between the United States and China, the Chinese Communist Party is making efforts to strengthen ties and resist against the U.S. In addition to party leaders visiting Southeast Asia, reports from French media have revealed that China has extended an invitation to French military officers to visit Beijing.
According to the French media outlet “Intelligence Online” on April 18, Major General Li Hongfei, the defense attaché at the Chinese Embassy in France, sent a letter to the French Ministry of Defense inviting French military officers to participate in training programs at Chinese military institutions. However, the French side declined the invitation.
In a two-page document obtained by “Intelligence Online,” Beijing listed 27 Chinese military institutions, including the National Defense University’s National Security Academy in Beijing, the Army Command College, and the Army Engineering University in Nanjing. These institutions offer training for foreign military officers in areas such as portable missile maintenance, anti-aircraft gun radar maintenance, and sniper training.
Li Hongfei submitted this list to the French General Staff Headquarters in December 2024, attempting to persuade the French side that sending officers to China for training would be beneficial. However, the French politely declined the offer.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, France has not sent any personnel to China for training. Since 2018, the Paris Military Academy has also ceased training Chinese military officers. A French military officer disclosed to the media, “We believe that China (CPC) is abusing this advanced course to gather strategic information.”
Li Hongfei, 60 years old this year, served as a military attaché in Morocco before being stationed in France in 2020.
The report pointed out that Li Hongfei’s actions reflect an increasingly assertive approach by the Chinese Embassy in Paris. Over the past two years, every time a French naval vessel passes through the Taiwan Strait, Li Hongfei expresses Beijing’s dissatisfaction to the French side.
“Intelligence Online” also mentioned that following France granting political asylum to the wife of Hongwei Meng, the former Vice Minister of Public Security of China and the former president of Interpol, police cooperation between France and China has almost come to a standstill.
In October 2018, Meng Hongwei’s wife reported to the Lyon police in France that Meng had gone missing after traveling to China in late September. A few days later, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security issued a notice stating that Meng Hongwei was under investigation for alleged bribery. In 2020, Meng Hongwei was sentenced to 13 years in prison for bribery.
Overall, these developments indicate a complex dynamic between China and France, with diplomatic, military, and law enforcement aspects interplaying amidst the backdrop of global tensions and evolving relations.