French President Emmanuel Macron who is on a two day visit to China met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing today and urged to cooperate more closely on geopolitics, trade and environment, as the EU seeks China’s help to end the war in Ukraine while Beijing looks for diplomatic wins amid US tariffs.
A large business delegation is accompanying Macron on his fourth state visit to the world’s second-largest economy, as he seeks to bolster his foreign policy credentials and secure commercial deals for French industry in a bid to revitalise his political legacy in the final years of his term after a tumultuous summer, and ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
China, for its part, wants to ease trade frictions with the 27-strong EU over its heavily subsidised electric vehicle sector, while presenting itself as a reliable trading partner and an alternative market to the US as global economies face recession risks resulting from President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
