Reference News Network, January 30** This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. On January 27, 1964, China and France issued a joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations at the same time, and France became the first Western power to formally establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. How did France make such a decision 60 years ago, and what twists and turns did the two countries go through in the process of establishing diplomatic relations? Over the past 60 years, what changes have not changed in the relations between China and France? The French newspaper Le Figaro recently published an article entitled ""Pretending it doesn't exist, it's a blind move": 60 years ago, General de Gaulle recognized the China led by ***", and Radio France International** published an article "60 Years of Franco-Chinese Relations: History, Current Situation, and Contradictions", which was reviewed and commented on in detail. Excerpts from related articles are as follows:
China is a behemoth. It's right there. It's blind to pretend it doesn't exist, especially when its presence grows stronger. "On January 8, 1964, like every Wednesday, General de Gaulle presided over the Council of Ministers. This meeting is unique. The first President of the Fifth Republic had just presented to him his reasons in favour of the recognition of the People's Republic of China. At that time, France was about to become the first Western country to formally establish diplomatic relations with communist China. Although Britain sent chargé d'affaires to China as early as 1954, the first British ambassador was not appointed until 1972.
A few days after this historic Council of Ministers, on 27 January, a concise communiqué was issued: "The French Republic** and the People's Republic of China** have unanimously decided to establish diplomatic relations. To this end, the two countries** agreed to appoint ambassadors within three months. This recognition means that it is necessary to have a 6A country of 900 million people maintains diplomatic relations.
France's position has changed.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, France, like most Western countries, decided to withdraw its embassy from Beijing. At that time, the Communists had completed the takeover of Chinese mainland, forcing the Chiang Kai-shek regime to flee to Taiwan. After that, France maintained diplomatic relations only with the Kuomintang authorities in exile.
In his 2014 book National Remembrance, published by the French Ministry of Culture, French sinologist Françoise Mangin emphasized: "For a long time, France's relationship with Beijing depended on China's support for the Vietnam Independence Alliance (Viet Minh) and then on the (Algerian) National Liberation Front." "In fact, France could not maintain diplomatic relations with a country that supported its enemies in the Indochina and Algerian wars. On the other hand, China is also unable to talk to a colonist.
In addition, sinologist and jurist Christine Chégne, in a documentary released by France in 2019, noted that France "had become heavily dependent on the United States." However, at that time, the United States only recognized the Taiwan authorities as legitimate**.
But "the Geneva Conference of 1954 marked the starting point for a shift in France's position," explains the China expert. Representatives of 19 countries, including China, attended the meeting. The conference resulted in the Geneva Accords, which declared the end of the Indochina War. It was then, on the initiative of Charles de Gaulle, who was not yet in power at that time, that France realized the importance of establishing ties with the People's Republic of China. China's sense of proportion and diplomacy were impressive during the meeting.
Independent and pragmatic tone.
At the end of September 1955, Senator Edmund Michelet led a parliamentary delegation to China for the first time. After returning to China, he stressed that there was no need to be afraid of Red China. However, there are still two obstacles to the proximity of the two countries: China's proximity to the Soviet Union in the context of the Cold War, and China's support for the National Liberation Front during the Algerian War. These two barriers were broken down in the early 60s of the 20th century. First of all, China and the Soviet Union**, by 1969 the two countries were on the verge of armed confrontation. Subsequently, the Evian Agreement signed in 1962 ended the Algerian War.
General de Gaulle, who established the Fifth Republic in 1958, clearly pointed out a new direction for France-China relations, guided by three principles: independence, greatness and pragmatism. De Gaulle refused to allow the polarization of the Cold War to deprive France of its own diplomacy. He wanted to move from bloc logic to a policy based on national independence and sovereignty. Thus, General de Gaulle wished to reiterate that France was neither a vassal of Washington nor of Moscow, and that France was the master of its own diplomatic choices.
At the Council of Ministers on January 8, 1964, General de Gaulle declared: "China aspires to recognition......The USSR has become its adversary, and the United States remains its adversary......With the exception of France, they do not see ...... other interlocutorsFrance does exist. It is independent, for China it is a reality, even the only reality. "At the same time, relations between France and China have been strengthened. Some French missions visited China and vice versa.
The turning point came in 1963, when Edgar Faure made an unofficial political visit to China. The former Prime Minister of the Fourth Republic had visited China in 1957 in a private capacity, so he was very familiar with China. He wrote the book "The Snake Turtle", which explained to the French public the political workings of the People's Republic of China. Most importantly, he argues in the book that the refusal to recognize the People's Republic of China is absurd, because it is a strong and stable regime that represents the reality of the country. In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro on January 9, 1964, Edgar Faure described the trip as a "personal" and "political" trip, "linked to the head of state".
Thus, the question is no longer whether France recognizes the People's Republic of China. The question is whether France will recognize it as the sole representative of the Chinese people, or whether France will consider the remnants of the Kuomintang regime and the island of Taiwan, where it is located. In order to make a decision, General de Gaulle sent several envoys to inquire into the opinions of the two camps. The answer is clear: both and Chiang Kai-shek said that there could only be one embassy. Therefore, de Gaulle chose ......Don't make a choice. Let the Taiwan authorities take the initiative to sever diplomatic relations with France.
In an interview with Le Figaro, Edgar Faure summed up the French position perfectly: "There can be no ***, just as there cannot be two Frances. Sovereignty is indivisible. "On February 1, 1964, the Chiang Kai-shek regime severed relations with France, thus removing the ambiguity of Paris.
Tackling challenges together.
On January 27, 1964, Paris established diplomatic relations with Beijing. Four days later, on January 31, de Gaulle commented on this diplomatic recognition at one of the two press conferences he organizes each year. He spent 20 minutes explaining that "the weight of the evidence and reasons is increasing day by day, and the French Republic has decided to place its relations with the People's Republic of China on the basis of normal, in other words, diplomacy".
Charles de Gaulle also spoke about China's strategic position and France's hopes for technical and cultural cooperation with China. For all these reasons, General de Gaulle said, it is clear that France must be able to listen directly to China, and it must be able to be heard.
Over the past 60 years, the balance of power between these two members of the UN Security Council has changed in favor of the People's Republic of China. The anniversary is marked against the backdrop of particularly tense geopolitics: US-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Near and Middle East, tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, China's growing influence in Africa, ......All of these issues are affecting bilateral relations in the throes of change.
Given that the People's Republic of China has become a key player in international relations, General de Gaulle's proposal seems more relevant than ever.
France's position on China is a classic example in the practice of international relations. NATO, the European Union, and the G7 clearly see China as a competitor, even a threat. France, although a member of these three organizations, has been more polite in its handling of bilateral relations between France and China, as it recognizes that Beijing is an important partner on a range of transnational issues, including climate change, debt to developing countries, the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. During his visit to China in April 2023, Macron called on Europeans not to "follow" the United States on Taiwan, a unique approach that observers noted in France, echoing the third path of Charles de Gaulle.
In addition, at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Macron refused to allow NATO to open a branch in Tokyo. France believes that it is in France's interest not to provoke China in this area, and the influence of Franco-Chinese relations in this area is now growing. (Compiled by Lin Xiaoxuan).
On June 6, 1964, Huang Zhen (left), the first ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the French Republic, presented his credentials to Charles de Gaulle (center) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. (Xinhua News Agency).