PARIS: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday arrived in France on a state visit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron where the French leader will seek to push his counterpart on issues ranging from Ukraine to trade.
This visit is the start of President Xi’s first trip to Europe since 2019. The visit, which marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and China, underscores the significance of Sino-French ties and Macron’s role as an influential EU powerbroker.
Xi’s decision to prioritize France as the sole major European destination for his tour highlights the positive relations between the two nations following Macron’s state visit to China in April 2023. Accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, Xi was welcomed at Paris Orly Airport by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
During his visit, Xi is scheduled to engage in a day of talks in Paris on Monday, which will also include discussions with EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. The visit will culminate in a state banquet hosted by Macron.
On Tuesday, Macron plans to take Xi to the Pyrenees mountains for a more intimate session of talks, away from the public eye.
One of Macron’s key priorities during the discussions will be to caution Xi against supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Western officials have expressed concerns about Moscow’s potential use of Chinese machine tools in arms production and urged China not to supply weapons to Russia.
Macron emphasized the importance of working with China to maintain the stability of the international order, underscoring the need for collaboration to build peace.
Macron is expected to raise issues related to economic relations with China. He accused Beijing of not adhering to international trade rules and emphasized the need for Europe to defend its strategic interests.
