Why Xi Jinping chose France to start his first trip to Europe since 2019

On a state visit arranged by Emmanuel Macron, the French president will try to press his Chinese counterpart on matters ranging from trade to Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in France on Sunday.

The beginning of Xi’s first trip to Europe since 2019—which will also include visits to Serbia and Hungary—came with his arrival for the visit commemorating 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and China.

However, Xi’s selection of France as the only significant European nation to visit demonstrates the generally positive condition of Sino-French ties since Macron’s official state visit to China in April 2023 and recognizes the French president’s role as an EU power broker.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal greeted the head of the one-party Communist state of over 1.4 billion people, together with his spouse Peng Liyuan, under umbrellas at a soggy Orly airport in Paris.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

On Monday, Xi will meet the head of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Paris for a full day of negotiations. Following this, Macron will throw a state banquet at the Elysee.

Macron will bring Xi to the Pyrenees mountains on Tuesday, a place he used to visit as a child, for a day of private talks that will be less public.

Upon his arrival in Paris, Xi stated that the growth of China-France ties had “injected stability and positive energy into the turbulent world” and that China was prepared to “enhance political mutual trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges” throughout the visit.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Macron’s top goal will be to alert Xi about the risks of supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, as Western diplomats are worried that Moscow is already utilizing Chinese machinery to produce weapons.

After the invasion, Beijing’s relations with Moscow have, if anything, become closer, and the West is more anxious that China refrain from arming Russia and running the risk of tipping the scales in the war.

“It is in our interest to get China to weigh in on the stability of the international order,” said Macron in an interview with the Economist published on Thursday.

“We must, therefore, work with China to build peace,” he added.

Macron also said in the same Economist interview that Europe must defend its “strategic interests” in its economic relations with China, accusing Beijing of not respecting the rules on international trade.

But he acknowledged in an interview with the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper that Europeans are “not unanimous” on the strategy to adopt as “certain actors still see China essentially as a market of opportunities” while it “exports massively” to Europe.

The French President had gladdened Chinese state media and troubled some EU allies after his 2023 visit by declaring that Europe should not be drawn into a standoff between China and the United States, particularly over democratic, self-ruled Taiwan.

China views the island as part of its territory and has vowed to take it one day, by force if necessary.

“The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must be followers and adapt ourselves to the American rhythm and a Chinese overreaction,” Macron said at the time, warning against a “bloc versus bloc logic”.

Rights groups are urging Macron to bring up human rights in the talks, accusing China of failing to respect the rights of the Uyghur Muslim minority and keeping dozens of journalists behind bars.

“President Macron should make it clear to Xi Jinping that Beijing’s crimes against humanity come with consequences for China’s relations with France,” said Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch.

The group said human rights in China had “severely deteriorated” under Xi’s rule.

However analysts are sceptical that Mr. Macron will be able to exercise much sway over the Chinese leader, even with the lavish red carpet welcome and a trip to the bracing mountain airs of the Col du Tourmalet over 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) above sea level on Tuesday.

The other two countries chosen by Xi for his tour, Serbia and Hungary, are seen as among the most sympathetic to Moscow in Europe.

“The two core messages from Macron will be on Chinese support to Russia’s military capabilities and Chinese market-distorting practices,” said Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“However, both messages are unlikely to have a significant impact on Chinese behaviour: Xi is not on a mission to repair ties, because from his point of view all is well.”

(With agency inputs)