Jean-Yves Le Drian was a guest on France Inter, Monday May 6.
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Xi Jinping, currently on a state visit to France, “is not [notre] friend, but not [notre] enemy neither”, retorted Monday May 6 on France Inter Jean-Yves Le Drian, former Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs, to respond to MEP Raphaël Glucksmann who denounced a few minutes earlier the aspect “cordial” of the welcome given to the Chinese leader.
The former foreign minister calls on the government to “talk with China without naivety”, with “firmness”. “We have disagreements, let’s say it”, says Jean-Yves Le Drian. He is also convinced that the President of the French Republic “is not naive.” “China wants to give itself a geopolitical role” but “we know well that this regime is more and more authoritarian and that the weight of the Chinese Communist Party is increasingly strong”he laments.
“The situation has changed a lot”
Jean-Yves Le Drian recalls that this visit comes “First of all” to mark “a birthday”, namely 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Jean-Yves Le Drian considers that “compared to Xi Jinping’s last visit” in France in 2019, “the situation has changed a lot.” “China has been weakened by Covid” and has “less investments” foreigners and “strengthening of Chinese military power is impressive”, he mentions. Jean-Yves Le Drian also assures that for his part “Europe has come out of its naivety”. “Europe no longer accepts initiatives taken by the Chinese to infiltrate European companies for economic or security purposes. Europe is initiating processes to denounce non-reciprocity,” he insists.
Former minister is adamant Xi Jinping’s state visit “is not tourism”. The former minister maintains that the reception given to him is similar to that which had been given “to Emmanuel Macron last year”, during his visit to China. “We must talk with China, because it is the weight of evidence and reason, because we cannot accept certain forms of domination, we must preserve our interests”he adds.
