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French President Calls for Trade Balance in Visit to China

Observers say French President Emmanuel Macron communicated two important messages during his recent visit to China.

One was about the huge possibilities cooperation between China and Europe could bring and Macron’s support of that effort.

The other was a warning not to underestimate European concern about China’s possibly unfair trade practices. These include Chinese restrictions¹ on investment in many businesses and industries.

Matheiu Duchatel is deputy director of the Asia and China Program at the European Council of Foreign Relations. He said that Macron’s visit will influence actions not only in France, but in other countries also.

“He wants to present himself as a leader” of the European Union (EU),” Duchatel said. “But at the same time, I think he wants to send a signal that Europe and the EU are in better shape than many think in China,” he noted².

Duchatel said that Europe, the United States and Australia are all expressing growing concern about China’s trade practices.

“Many (people) are coming to terms with the reality that China is no longer the factory of the world,” he added. “But it is clearly a country that has very strong ambitions in terms of economic leadership for the world and it is not a market economy.”

Macron presented Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a gift of an 8-year old horse named Vesuvius.

He promised to visit China at least once every year while he serves as France’s president. He also said that he is ready to work to “get the Europe-China relationship into the 21st Century.”

The two sides signed major trade deals during the visit. China’s president said the two countries will deepen their “strategic cooperation.”

During his first stop in Xi’an, Macron expressed French support for China’s huge trade and commerce project, the “Belt and Road” initiative.

Xi’an was once the starting point of the Silk Road, the name for roads and transportation links used by traders many centuries ago. In a speech, Macron noted that the ancient Silk Roads were never only Chinese.

“By definition these roads can only be shared,” he told a meeting of business people, students and professors. “If they are roads, they cannot be one-way.”

On Tuesday, Macron met with Alibaba founder³ Jack⁴ Ma and officials of other Chinese and French companies. In a speech, the president talked about the possibilities cooperation could bring. But he warned about the threat of protectionism if changes were not made.

I’m Caty Weaver⁵.

Words in This Story

ambition – n. a desire to get things done; a goal or aim

commerce – n. the change of products or services

initiative – n. a plan that is designed to solve a problem

advantage – n. a gain or desirable quality

screening mechanism⁶ – n. a method or model for testing

globalization – n. the combining of national economics through trade, investment and technology

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

6 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。