Xi Jinping in France: official ceremony, dinner, vacation in the Pyrenees… state visit program

Arriving in France on Sunday afternoon to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations in Beijing and Paris, Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his third state visit to France since taking power in 2013 and his second in the company of Emmanuel Macron. Complex commercial ties between the planetary workshop, France and the European Union are also on the menu for this trip, the French president hopes, as well as the influence China could have on its Russian ally to at least agree to a truce. in his war against Ukraine during the Olympic Games. Updated program of the state visit.

Monday is dedicated to business relationships

If the all-powerful Chinese president arrived in Orly on Sunday afternoon, welcomed by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, the visit would not officially begin until late in the morning. The Chinese president is expected at 11 a.m. at the Elysee Palace by Emmanuel Macron for a meeting to urgently address the numerous trade disputes between China, the European Union and France. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will join the Franco-Chinese duo. They have no plans yet to attend the Franco-Chinese economic forum, which is taking place at the same time at the nearby Marigny theater.

At 3:00 p.m., a large welcoming ceremony is organized in the magnificent Les Invalides to duly celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, which began with the recognition of Maoist People’s China in 1964 by General de Gaulle, one of the first to make this gesture towards the then isolated regime . As a result, the Army Museum and Napoleon’s Tomb are only open to the public until midday.

State visit protocol usually requires a foreign head of state to be flown by helicopter from the airport to the Esplanade des Invalides after performing an aerial arabesque to admire the Eiffel Tower. But Xi Jinping arrived on Sunday, and the esplanade is now occupied by the site for the archery and para-archery competitions that will be held there during the Olympics. However, it was decorated in the colors of China.

After the ceremony, the Chinese president will travel to the Elysee Palace, accompanied by the Republican Guard, possibly on horseback as Xi Jinping is a keen horseman. There will be a two-hour bilateral meeting, following which Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping will speak jointly with the press. They should then go to the Marigny Theater to meet French-Chinese investors.

State dinner at the Elysee Palace

A visit to the peninsula, the palace on Avenue Kleber, where, as in 2019, the Chinese delegation stayed, and it’s also time to go to the state dinner organized at the presidential headquarters in honor of the Chinese presidential couple. The menu, inevitably in line with the best examples of French gastronomy, and the guest list are not disclosed. In 2019, Xi Jinping’s previous reception welcomed 200 prestigious guests to great fanfare, including Alain Delon and Hélène Rolles, China’s adored stars, musician Jean-Michel Jarre, actress Gong Li, chef Alain Ducasse and the owner of Parisien. -Aujourd’hui en France Bernard Arnault.

For the occasion, the President chose four iconic figures of French gastronomy to create the (secret) menu for these feasts. Chefs Jean-François Piège for the appetizer and Frédéric Anton for the main course. The best cheese factory worker in France, Christelle Loreau, and the best pastry chef in the world, Christelle Bruhat. During the celebration, the Republican Guard will perform Chinese melodies. The program does not say whether Helene Rolles will sing it…

First Ladies in Orsay

Brigitte Macron is expected to take President Xi Jinping’s wife Peng Liyuan to the Orsay Museum. The magnificent museum on the Left Bank is traditionally closed on Mondays, making it even easier to guard. They should then meet the students before heading to the UNESCO headquarters at Place Fontenoy (7th arrondissement).

A More Personal Tuesday

The two heads of state and their wives will leave the capital at 10 a.m. and head to the Hautes-Pyrenees to explore the Col du Tourmalet, where they will have lunch in a less formal setting. Emmanuel Macron hopes to establish a more spontaneous dialogue with President Xi Jinping by taking him to the countries of his childhood. The French president’s maternal grandmother, Germaine Noguet, with whom he was very close, died in 2013, 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.

Upon completion of this program, President Xi will travel to Serbia and then to Hungary, where he is expected from May 8 to 10.