French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to address trade imbalances and urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to leverage his influence with Russia regarding the Ukraine conflict during Xi’s rare visit to Paris starting Sunday. However, Macron’s goals face challenges amid escalating trade tensions between Europe and China.
France has supported a European Union investigation into Chinese electric vehicle exports, prompting Beijing to reciprocate with an investigation into French brandy imports. Macron emphasized the importance of reciprocal exchanges and economic security ahead of Xi’s two-day visit, his first in five years to the region.
Xi’s itinerary includes meetings with Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. However, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not join the discussions due to prior commitments, highlighting divisions within the EU regarding China.
France seeks progress on opening China’s market to its agricultural exports and addressing concerns in the French cosmetic industry about intellectual property rights. Additionally, Macron hopes to encourage China to use its influence to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine, although progress has been limited.
Despite differing views within the EU, Macron stressed the importance of China taking European concerns seriously if it seeks to deepen its relationship with European partners. Macron plans to take Xi on a visit to the Pyrenees, a region with personal significance to him, before Xi’s onward journey to Serbia and Hungary, both seen as Russia-friendly nations.
