China’s military holds talks in France and Germany despite rising trade tensions

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has held defence strategy consultations with France and Germany over the past week despite mounting trade tensions between Beijing and Europe.

A PLA strategy consultation delegation visited France and Germany from October 21 to 28 for the talks, according to a statement released by China’s defence ministry on Wednesday.

The Chinese delegation engaged in in-depth exchanges of views with the two countries separately on bilateral and military-to-military relations, the international and regional security situation, and other issues of common concern, it said.

They agreed to strengthen strategic communication, enhance mutual trust, and expand defence exchanges and cooperation, the statement added.

Neither Paris nor Berlin issued a public statement on the visits, and Beijing did not disclose the composition of its delegation.

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Defence strategy consultations serve as a high-level institutional mechanism for the PLA to conduct strategic dialogue, manage risks and foster mutual confidence with foreign armed forces.

The talks in Paris and Berlin suggested that both sides were keeping military dialogue on track, even amid headwinds over trade.

In early October, France and Germany co-signed a proposal calling for a new trade mechanism to bar European Union market access to countries that cause market distortion – a measure widely seen as aimed at China.

In response, China’s commerce ministry called on Berlin and Paris to refrain from encouraging the EU to resort to what it called protectionist tools at every turn.

The recent tour marked the first visit by a PLA defence strategy consultation delegation to Europe since 2023.

In June and July 2023, a similar PLA delegation visited Britain and France.

China and France last held a round of defence strategy consultations in Beijing in June 2024, two months after the two militaries established a dialogue and cooperation mechanism between their respective theatre commands.

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During the 16th round of China-France defence strategy consultations in 2022, held via video link, the Chinese side was led by then Lieutenant General Shao Yuanming, then deputy chief of the Central Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department.

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