macron bets on horse diplomacy in china
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Macron bets on horse diplomacy in China

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Macron bets on horse diplomacy in China

Macron tours the Great Mosque of Xian.
Beijing - Arab Today

In a response to panda power, French President Emmanuel Macron bet on equine diplomacy during his first state visit to China, presenting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with a horse as a gift.

The animal, a retired Republican Guard horse named Vesuve de Brekka, is in quarantine in China. But Macron was set to show a photo of it to Xi when they met on Monday in Beijing.

The French presidential office said Xi had been "fascinated" by the Republican Guard when he was escorted during a visit to Paris in 2014, but the choice of gift became a talking-point back home in France.

"Wishing to have friendly ties with foreign heads of state, Emmanuel Macron wants to make more than a gift -- a diplomatic gesture," the presidency said in a statement.

French historian Jean-Louis Gouraud, the author of a 2009 book on horses in politics, said he found the choice puzzling and wondered if it might be misinterpreted.

Horse exchanges have long been a diplomatic tradition, but they were offered in the past to all-powerful Chinese emperors as a sign of deference by visitors, and the move could be seen as showing Macron in a position of weakness.

On the other hand, the gift was a gelding -- a castrated male -- rather than a fertile stallion.

"I hope it won't be considered as a humiliation or disrespectful," Gouraud told AFP. "For an Arab, it would be seen as an insult."

Furthermore, the French leader's name in Mandarin is rendered "Ma-ke-long", or "the horse vanquishes the dragon".

The eight-year-old dark brown horse took part in its last presidential escort on November 11 on the Champs-Elysees. The horses are ridden by sword-wielding guards on formal occasions.

"We appreciate and express our thanks for this move," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a regular news briefing, adding that Macron's visit was of "great significance".

"We believe this visit will further enhance the friendship between the two leaderships" and improve cooperation, Lu said.

Macron will also offer Xi a sabre engraved with the phrase "Mr. Emmanuel Macron - President of the French Republic - Beijing - January 2018".

The gifts are Macron's answer to China's panda diplomacy in which the once critically endangered bears are loaned by Beijing to foreign countries as a sign of friendship.

One such loan resulted in the birth of a panda in France last year, which led to Macron's wife, 64-year-old former school teacher Brigitte, being named as its godmother.

The horse arrived in China on a special plane accompanied by the Republican Guard's chief veterinarian and a member of the unit on January 4, four days before Macron.

It will remain in quarantine before joining Xi's presidential stable.

 

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

macron bets on horse diplomacy in china macron bets on horse diplomacy in china

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

macron bets on horse diplomacy in china macron bets on horse diplomacy in china

 



GMT 11:28 2017 Saturday ,15 April

President Al-Bashir's visit to Kuwait and Bahrain

GMT 07:51 2017 Sunday ,26 November

HRH Crown Prince condoles with Egyptian President

GMT 14:35 2018 Friday ,12 October

Bahrain's media history documentation hailed

GMT 11:45 2017 Friday ,29 December

10 bodies found in mass grave in Myanmar

GMT 08:44 2016 Monday ,19 December

Hopeless Afghan struggle to save boy sex slaves

GMT 15:15 2013 Friday ,05 July

I breathe freedom in Jordan

GMT 12:55 2016 Sunday ,18 December

Kerry in likely last visit with Saudi king

GMT 05:49 2017 Wednesday ,24 May

Indian police make arrests after mobs lynch 8

GMT 12:12 2017 Sunday ,19 February

More South Sudanese officials quit unity gov't

GMT 09:25 2017 Wednesday ,09 August

Ghada Abdel Raziq prefers exciting drama

GMT 15:03 2017 Saturday ,14 October

HM King congratulates French President

GMT 22:10 2017 Wednesday ,03 May

Boosting Bahraini-Czech relations discussed

GMT 12:43 2017 Thursday ,30 November

Saudi prince freed in 'billion-dollar deal'

GMT 03:55 2017 Friday ,17 November

Al-Hilal's Eduardo looking to lead from the front

GMT 03:26 2017 Saturday ,18 November

Tesla's all-electric semi truck
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday