Justin Vaïsse speaks at CCG on the eve of Macron’s visit
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit China from April 5th to 7th, 2023. On April 4th, Justin Vaïsse, founder and Director-General of Paris Peace Forum, gave a speech at the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and engaged in dialogue with CCG President Wang Huiyao on the eve of Macron’s visit to China. During the discussion, they shared insights on new paths and opportunities for the development of China-EU relations, multilateralism, and reforms in global governance.
CCG Secretary-General Miao Lu opened by introducing the keynote speaker, emphasizing that over the past five years, CCG has been fortunate to be the only official Chinese partner of the Paris Peace Forum and has attended multiple sessions of the conference. The Paris Peace Forum is an inclusive platform dedicated to providing effective solutions for global governance challenges. CCG looks forward to further cooperation with the Forum and Dr. Vaïsse in the future.
Dr. Justin Vaïsse proceeded to deliver a speech on the future of global governance in a polarized world. He emphasized that the competition among major powers has become an inevitable feature of the world today. However, at the same time, global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and others are increasingly urgent, making cooperation necessary. He highlighted that in the face of global crises such as climate change, the United States and China have a responsibility to regulate and mitigate competition, and Europe has a responsibility to coordinate between China and the US and lead the way in providing initiatives and solutions for global public interests. In addition, non-state actors can also play individual roles in helping ease competition and promote the resolution of global issues. Meanwhile, multiple factors such as multipolarity, technological progress, and environmental degradation have significantly increased the demand for global rules. People should not only rely on national governments to formulate rules, they also need to implement these rules through international coordination. He also emphasized that China can play an important role in infrastructure construction, international financial flow reform, and promote healthy competition.
Following that, CCG President Wang Huiyao opened a dialogue with Dr. Justin Vaïsse on the significance of French President Macron’s visit to China and the prospects of China-EU trade relations.
During the dialogue, CCG President Wang Huiyao pointed out that need to expand cooperation while engaging in healthy competition. He noted that France and the EU can play a significant role in mitigating tensions between China and the US, suggesting a “G3 model” that brings together China, the US, and Europe might be an ideal model for stabilizing international relations. The also emphasized that all parties can do more to promote mutual understanding of each other’s positions and peace through dialogue better.
Justin Vaïsse stated that President Macron’s recent visit to China, the first since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, is of great significance for France as it represents direct contact and dialogue between Europe and China. He noted that Europe can play a coordinating role by engaging in frank dialogue with China and the United States, and it is essential to maintain this trilateral dialogue. In addition, the economic and trade exchanges between China and Europe are also crucial, not only for their respective prosperity but also as the primary motivation for people-to-people exchanges. It is necessary to promote the development of China-Europe economic relations, but it is still not enough. It is also necessary to upgrade the discussion to the highest level of geopolitical dialogue to ensure continued cooperation between the two sides.
Andy Mok, CCG Senior Research Fellow
Zoon Ahmed Khan, CCG Research Fellow
Joshua Dominick, GYLD project member
During the Q&A session, CCG Senior Research Fellow Andy Mok, CCG Research Fellow Zoon Ahmed Khan, and GYLD project member Joshua Dominick asked Dr. Vaïsse his views on a range of topics including the impact of technology on great power relations, the role of south countries in future global governance, and how the EU and the Paris Peace Forum can serve to balance relations between China and the United States.
The dialogue ended in a positive atmosphere and constructive discussion. In his concluding remarks, CCG President Wang Huiyao expressed his thanks for a productive event and praised Dr. Vaïsse’s speech as not only attractive but also serving to deepen people’s understanding of global governance. He also expressed the hope that the current visit to China by French President Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would be another big step towards improving China’s relations with the world.
The Paris Peace Forum, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, aims to promote multilateral cooperation and address global challenges. Since its establishment, the Forum has provided an important platform for enhancing mutual understanding, improving global governance, promoting multilateralism, and maintaining world peace, playing a positive role. Justin Vaïsse is a French historian and intellectual. Since March 2019, he has been the Director-General of the Paris Peace Forum. Prior to this role, he was Director of Policy Planning at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2019. He also served as Director of Research for the Center on the United States and Europe and a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution from 2007 to 2013, focusing on transatlantic relations and European foreign policy.
