Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who intends to advocate trade "reciprocity" and find a resolution to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Returning to Europe for the first time since 2019, the leader of the Asian superpower has organised his tour under the seal of diplomatic balance: after the state visit to France, whose President has been calling on him to use his influence to "bring Russia to its senses," Xi Jinping will visit Serbia and Hungary, two countries that have remained close to Moscow throughout the conflict.
On Monday, Xi Jinping, who has come to celebrate 60 years of Franco-Chinese diplomatic relations, will hold a series of meetings with President Macron. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join the pair at the Elysée Palace for a session on trade issues.
The European Union has stepped up its investigations in recent months into Chinese state subsidies to several industrial sectors – notably electric vehicles – which are accused of distorting competition.
Macron told La Tribune that the Europeans were "not unanimous" on the strategy because "some players still see China essentially as a market for outlets" even though it "exports massively to Europe." He advocates "better protecting our national security and being much more realistic in defending our interests."
In Beijing, meanwhile, these measures are seen as "protectionist." The Chinese authorities have launched their own anti-subsidy investigation, which Macron intends to protest.
On Monday afternoon, after a grand ceremonial welcome at Les Invalides, and before a banquet at the Elysée Palace, Macron and Xi Jinping will meet for the most political part of the meeting, before addressing the press. A Franco-Chinese economic forum will also take place at 18:00 at Théâtre Marigny.
'Olympic truce'
The French President plans to ask Xi Jinping to support the "Olympic truce" for all conflicts during the Paris Olympics this summer, to ensure that China – President Putin's primary ally – does not lean towards outright support for Russia.
Macron hopes China will "use the levers" it has over Moscow to "contribute to a resolution of the conflict." He conveyed the same message a year ago during his own state visit to China, with modest results.
For Marc Julienne, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations, "this approach reveals a lack of understanding of Beijing's interests and strategy," which wants to "keep its distance from the conflict" and has no intention of "getting more involved, either in the direction of the Europeans or in terms of military support for Russia."
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The French President will nevertheless try to drive the point home in the French Pyrenees on Tuesday, when the two men and their wives will take a more personal getaway.
On the sensitive issue of human rights, Macron said he preferred to discuss "disagreements behind closed doors." He was also not keen to make Taiwan a priority, despite the fact that it is at the heart of high tensions between the US and China.
Several thousand Tibetans, according to their representatives, gathered on Place de la République in Paris on Sunday to protest against the Chinese President's visit to France, denouncing that a "country of human rights" is hosting "a dictator".
