During the call, Zhang “called for prioritizing development, improving global governance and promoting inclusive growth of the world economy,” according to a Chinese readout of the video conference that made no explicit mention of tackling macroeconomic imbalances that Western governments blame for declining industrial output and employment.
A non-government official briefed on preparations for the G7 summit saw the French presidency’s outreach as an “olive branch” to China, but acknowledged that the G7 was not the best format to put pressure on China to change its trade policy.
In delegating Zhang to join the call, Beijing also played the protocol card to send the message that it didn’t take the discussion seriously.
“Tasking a vice-PM of course scales down the importance given to the issue,” said Elvire Fabry, a trade expert at the Jacques Delors Institute think tank in Paris.
Europe hardens its line
In its mediation role as G7 president, France has avoided publicly calling out China, framing the discussion around the neutral concept of global imbalances and noting that the U.S. also has a role to play by reducing its budget deficit and the EU by boosting investment.
However, France has traditionally been the most vocal supporter of EU measures to tackle the bloc’s trade deficit with China, which widened to €360 billion last year and grew further in the first quarter of 2026.
Paris has led a call by five EU countries for new trade defense weapons to tackle China’s export dominance, and Macron recently urged the EU to give itself stronger, U.S.-style trade powers to confront China.