On Sunday, amid growing trade tensions with the EU, President Xi Jinping landed in Paris for a rare visit and praised China’s relations with France as an example for the rest of the world.
The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, is expected to press Xi to use his connection with Russia to influence the conflict in Ukraine and to lessen economic disparities. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, would meet the President of China on Monday.
In a statement made upon his arrival, Xi—who was greeted by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal—stated that China-France connections were “a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems”.
In January, Beijing initiated an investigation into brandy imports, coming from France, a move that was largely perceived as a tit-for-tat retaliation for EU inspections of Chinese electric vehicle exports which France is supporting.
Macron stated in an interview with the French newspaper La Tribune, “We want to obtain reciprocity of exchanges and have the elements of our economic security taken into account,” prior to Xi’s two-day visit. This is Xi’s first trip to the region in five years.
There is disagreement among the 27 members of the EU over how to handle China, especially between France and Germany. Due to prior obligations, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not be joining Macron and Xi in Paris, according to reports.
