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Xiaofei Xu

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit China next week and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Elysee Palace said in a statement on Wednesday.
The three-day visit is scheduled to begin on December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu, according to the statement.
“On this occasion, major issues relating to the strategic partnership between France and China will be addressed, as well as several major international matters and areas of cooperation aimed at tackling the global challenges of our time,” the statement said.
The state visit came as Europe scrambles to respond to the Ukraine peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, as well as amid mounting trade tensions between China and Europe.
Beijing’s stance in the war has been causing unease in Paris as well as Brussels, both of which accuse China of supporting Russia’s war machine.
France expressed its wish for China to persuade Russia to abide by UN principles as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and “in light of what Russia and China call their ‘limitless friendship’, which binds the two countries together,” an Elysee source said during a separate briefing on Tuesday.
The source chose to remain anonymous, citing professional norms in France.


“We hope that China can convince Russia to put an end to the war and to engage in negotiations that respect Ukraine’s fundamental rights and allow us to achieve peace and security on the European continent,” the source said.
France is also championing more protectionist trade policies at the European level, advocating for tariffs on Chinese imports such as electric vehicles and steel.
Former French Economic Minister Eric Lombard said recently that free trade has been “killed” by China and the US, with Europe’s multiplying tariffs highlighting this.
China chose French cognac as its first target in its retaliation against the EU’s anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese EVs.
Paris eventually managed to negotiate a minimum price scheme, which exempted 90 per cent of its cognac export from the tariff, a positive example welcomed by both Paris and Beijing.
Indeed, despite increasing frictions between Paris and Beijing on the trade front, as the first major Western power to recognise the People’s Republic of China, France has traditionally enjoyed rather good relationships with China.
China’s ambassador to France told the Post in a recent exclusive interview that Beijing hopes to see Paris play a leading role in guiding Europe to become a truly independent power and help build a stable multipolar world.
Macron is also considering inviting Xi to the G7 summit next year, when France will be hosting, according to a Bloomberg report.
The Elysee Palace said in its statement that Macron will “advance an agenda of cooperation and balance in economic and trade matters”, which is “an ambition that will be at the heart of France’s presidency of the G7 in 2026”.
Macron last visited China in 2023, while Xi repaid the compliment with a visit to France in 2024.


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French president will meet his Chinese counterpart as part of a three-day visit from December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu


French president will meet his Chinese counterpart as part of a three-day visit from December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu.


France’s Emmanuel Macron to meet Xi Jinping during China trip next week

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}French president will meet his Chinese counterpart as part of a three-day visit from December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu

French president will meet his Chinese counterpart as part of a three-day visit from December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu