Xi refused Macron's attendance at BRICS summit: Intelligence Online
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Intelligence Online claims that in early August, Beijing called off Macron's planned presence at the BRICS summit in South Africa.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping stands by national flags in Berlin, on March 28, 2014 (AFP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping's diplomatic strategy is the reason French President Emmanuel Macron will not attend the upcoming BRICS summit in South Africa, the Intelligence Online news website claimed.
For three days beginning Tuesday, leaders from the bloc's members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa will convene.
In early August, Beijing called off Macron's planned presence, according to the news website, causing South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor to point out during a news conference on August 7 that no invitation had been sent to Macron to attend the summit.
In late June, the French President had made it known through French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna that he was interested in joining the BRICS summit. And Intelligence Online claimed that according to its sources, "diplomatic authorities in Pretoria and New Delhi alike had given their green light to Macron attending."
According to the news website, "China's diplomatic authorities, however, said they would not be opposed to having a small French delegation led by a lower profile representative attend the summit."
"That gesture was meant to avoid appearing rude to Macron, who has for months been seeking to project a less confrontational approach," it suggested, noting that the "French leader's remarks on Taiwan in the wake of his April visit to China delighted Xi's team."
Elsewhere, Intelligence Online cited a number of sources in China as claiming that the Chinese President "did not take a favorable view on opening the bloc to third-party partners."
Read more: Countries unfriendly towards Russia unwelcomed at BRICS: Ryabkov
