Xi Jinping’s state visit to France: the Chinese President is expected this Sunday in Orly

This Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to Orly for a two-day state visit to France. The trip, marking the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Paris, is his third to France since he took power eleven years ago and his first to Europe since 2019.

Monday will be devoted to diplomatic discussions and official ceremonies. Emmanuel Macron consulted in advance with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was unable to attend, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join the Franco-Chinese duo at the Elysee Palace for a meeting that should allow commercial issues to be raised. disputes. “We must continue to insist that the Chinese authorities provide us with more guarantees on trade issues,” an Elysee Palace adviser said ahead of the visit.

At risk of being caught between the American and Chinese economies, the European Union, with massive support from state authorities, has in recent months stepped up investigations into Chinese government subsidies to several industrial sectors, particularly electric vehicles, accused of anti-competitiveness. In response to what Beijing considers a “protectionist” response, Beijing has launched an investigation into imports of cognac, a spirit produced mainly in France.

Paris also wants to make progress in opening up the Chinese market to agricultural exports and address concerns about intellectual property rights in the cosmetics industry – a sector in which France is a world leader. New rules require cosmetics exporters to share formulas and manufacturing know-how when importing their products into China.

“Getting reciprocity” is the goal of the Head of State

In an interview with La Tribune on Sunday, Emmanuel Macron admitted that Europeans are “not unanimous” in their choice of strategy because, he said, “some players still see China as essentially a market of opportunity,” while it is “massively exports to Europe.” He calls for “better protection of our national security,” “be much more realistic in protecting our interests,” and “achieve reciprocity.” A Franco-Chinese economic forum is also scheduled for Monday at the Marigny theater, at which investment announcements could be made.

France has also been pushing China over the past year to pressure Moscow to end its operations in Ukraine, with little progress so far beyond Xi’s decision to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time shortly after Macron’s last visit to Beijing. year. “Since China is one of Russia’s main partners, our goal is to use the leverage it has over Moscow to change Russia’s calculus and contribute to the resolution of the conflict,” said the same Elysium adviser. President Macron is set to ask his Chinese counterpart to support an “Olympic truce” for “all” conflicts during the Paris Games this summer, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit China in May.

The French president will try on Tuesday in the Pyrenees to push for a more private holiday between the two men, accompanied by their wives. A lunch was organized at the Col du Tourmalet with the aim of breaking strict protocol and establishing a more direct dialogue with President Xi. Emmanuel Macron often went there as a child to visit his maternal grandmother Germaine Noguez, who died in 2013 and lived in Bagnères-de-Bigorre. This meeting is intended to repeat the meeting organized last year in China. Xi Jinping received his counterpart in Guangzhou at a tea ceremony at the residence of the governor of Guangdong province. His father, Xi Zhongxun, lived there when he held the position from 1978 to 1981.