So it was France, boosted by Sarkozy’s undiplomatic approach, that became the epicentre of international protest against China’s brutal suppression of civil rights demonstrations in Tibet, none more so than when the Olympic torch was supposed to be paraded peacefully around Paris on its journey to Beijing. Despite the presence of a track-suited Chinese security team – whom Sarkozy was overheard to describe as ‘long-haul thugs’, a reference to the fact that they appeared to be protecting the flame wherever it travelled without any official approval – the flame was put out four times and the route constantly changed and curtailed.

The mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, not to be outdone, declared the titular head of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, an honorary citizen of the French capital. When news of this reached China, coupled with stories of how a disabled Chinese athlete, Jin Jing, one of the torch bearers, had been harassed by demonstrators despite being in a wheelchair, a full scale breach of diplomatic relations was in prospect. Dozens of cars circled the French embassy in Beijing, waving banners that stated, ‘Tibet is China’, and a full-scale boycott of French goods was openly advocated.

Given the huge size of China, this would have had major repercussions for French exports, not least the wine-producing industry, which has a flourishing outlet for its products. France has also helped its largest hypermarket chain, Carrefour, to open more than 120 sites in China. Fuelled by unfounded rumours that Carrefour had declared for Tibetan independence, a widespread boycott of its stores became a serious prospect, in a country where the most ‘spontaneous’ of protests are organised by the government.

Seeing where this was heading, Sarkozy hastily backed down, suggesting that he might, after all, attend the Games and sending the former French prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, and his personal advisor on foreign affairs, David Lavitte, to Beijing. Raffarin carried a personal apology from Sarkozy for Jin Jing, and, according to Le Parisien, Lavitte brought with him a beautifully bound biography of President de Gaulle for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

For those who might struggle to see the attraction of the life story of the cantankerous old general who kept Britain out of the Common Market, it should be explained that de Gaulle was the first Western leader to recognize the People’s Republic of China, back in 1964, although it was more to annoy the Americans than out of any political principle.

Sarkozy himself got off to a good start last November, making his first overseas trip as president to China, and giving formal French support to the principle of ‘one-China’, code for refusing independence for the Taiwanese, still sitting in an armed camp on an island off the Chinese mainland. Now it has nearly all ended in tears. Time to send Carla on a crash course in Mandarin. 

From our May 2008 e-newsletter