Tibetan activists made a bold statement in Paris by displaying “Free Tibet” as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s motorcade passed underneath a bridge on Sunday. The protest was organized by the Students for Free Tibet and the International Tibet Network organizations. They took to social media to express their intentions, saying, “In China, Dictator Xi may be able to ignore the plight of the Tibetan people, but in France we are going to expose his lies and guarantee that Xi cannot forget us.”
President Xi is in France for a state visit and plans to continue his European tour with stops in Hungary and Serbia. This marks his first trip to Europe in five years.
Upon his arrival, a significant number of Tibetans gathered to demand justice for those they claim are oppressed by the Chinese government in Tibet. The activists also urged French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Tibet and Hong Kong’s issues during his meetings with Xi. They highlighted concerns about the alleged mistreatment of Tibetan children in boarding schools and the diminishing freedoms in Hong Kong.
During Xi‘s visit, which commemorates 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and China, he was greeted by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at a rainy Paris Orly airport. Xi, along with his wife Peng Liyuan, is set to have a day of discussions in Paris on Monday, involving not only Macron but also EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. A state banquet at the Elysee Palace will follow.
On Tuesday, Macron will host Xi in the Pyrenees mountains, a place Macron frequented as a child, for more private discussions.
In a piece for the French newspaper Le Figaro, Xi stated his desire to collaborate with the international community to resolve the conflict resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He emphasized that China is “neither a party nor a participant” in the conflict, according to a report by News18.
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