Macron hosts Biden as two leaders try to overcome past trade tensions

United States President Joe Biden,and French President Emmanuel Macron arrive at the international ceremony at Omaha Beach, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Normandy, France. (Photo: PTI)

President Joe Biden is being feted by French President Emmanuel Macron with a state visit Saturday, as the two allies aim to show off their partnership on global security issues and move past trade tensions.

Biden and Macron attended ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Thursday. They met separately the following day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris engagements they both used to underscore the urgent need to support Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion.

But Macron and Biden have often chafed at the pace of support for Ukraine, especially as the US by far the largest contributor to Kyiv’s defence was forced to pause aid shipments for months while congressional Republicans held up an assistance package.

The state visit will begin with a welcome ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe and a military parade along the Champs-Elysees leading to the Elysee Palace, where the two will hold official meetings and deliver public statements. Later, Macron will host a state dinner at the palace for Biden and his wife, Jill.

Biden hosted Macron in December 2022 at the White House for the first state visit of his presidency a glamorous affair that included business and political figures after the Covid-19 pandemic.

First lady Jill Biden will join her husband for the Saturday events, returning to France aboard a government plane after spending Friday in Delaware to support their son, Hunter Biden, who is standing trial on federal gun charges.

Biden’s trip to France also comes ahead of Sunday’s European Parliament election, in which the far right is likely to emerge as one of the biggest winners while Macron’s pro-EU movement is flagging.

A top French official said Macron and Biden have a friendly and warm relationship and stressed that the US president is spending five days in France, reflecting the importance he attaches to the visit. The official spoke anonymously, in line with customary practices for Macron’s office.

The official said the US presidential campaign was not a factor in the discussion.

Macron previously hosted then-President Donald Trump, the Republicans’ presumptive 2024 nominee, in France for Bastille Day in 2017, before being hosted himself by Trump in 2018 for a state visit, before the two leaders’ relationship soured.

Both US and French officials said Ukraine would be at the top of Saturday’s agenda, but the centrepiece of the weekend event would be the strength of the alliance, proven at Normandy 80 years ago, but with roots far deeper.

It’s probably a good thing for us to remember that we didn’t win our independence either without some foreign help or foreign assistance, specifically from France, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Friday.

Max Bergmann, a former US State Department official who leads Europe research at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the relationship between the two countries is strong despite occasional disagreements.

There’s always tension in Franco-American relations, because the French try to do stuff,” he said. “They’re bold, they throw up proposals, and that leads to some friction when we push back.

For example, he said, France proposed putting Western trainers on the ground in Ukraine, leading to questions of whether this is really giving Ukraine a major, tangible benefit or has the potential to be escalatory and dangerous.

Regarding Macron, Bergmann said, he’s the one that pushes the boundaries and throws up ideas.

Kirby said the two leaders would have an announcement Saturday on deepening maritime law enforcement cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. They also are to discuss economic and climate challenges.

While praising the Biden administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, Macron said earlier this year that Europe must become capable of defending its interests, with its allies by our side whenever they are willing, and alone if necessary,” arguing the continent should rely less on the US for its own defence.

He also warned Western powers against showing any signs of weakness to Russia as he repeatedly said that sending Western troops into Ukraine to shore up its defence shouldn’t be ruled out.

The two leaders were also set to discuss their efforts to bring about a cease-fire to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as the US and Israel await Hamas’ response to a Biden-promoted ceasefire proposal that would allow a surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

The president will update President Macron on all of that. And again, eagerly await his perspectives and his views as well on what’s going on in Gaza, Kirby said.

Macron is expected to raise US trade practices that he has often criticised, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which favors American-made climate technology, like electric vehicles. Macron said the US, like China, has “decided not to respect the rules of global trade by shoring up protections and subsidies while Europe’s industry remains open and is stuck in overregulation.

The French top official said Europe has to defend European interests, after watching the US do the same with its own, but said Macron hopes to find a mutually acceptable outcome.

Gary Hufbauer, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said trade with China is a sticking point between the US and Europe, particularly France. The US has been more eager to restrict trade, particularly regarding technology.

Biden is also moving toward tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and batteries, which could affect European cars that include Chinese parts.

The fear is that if you’ve got some component from China, we don’t want you in the US.

That’s a big worry in Europe.

Overall, Hufbauer said, Europe wants to maintain much more trade with China than the US wants.