Xi Jinping begins state visit to France, Macron to address key issues including Ukraine

The start of Chinese President Xi Jinping's first European journey since 2019 occurred on Sunday as he landed in France for a state visit granted by President Emmanuel Macron.

In addition to highlighting the changing nature of Sino-European relations, the visit falls on the 60th anniversary of France and China's diplomatic relations.

China-France ties have been improving, especially after Macron's state visit to China in April 2023. This is reflected in Xi's choice to make France his top priority among the main European powers to visit.

Premier Gabriel Attal met Xi at the rainy Orly airport in Paris, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan.

The growth of China-France ties "injected stability and positive energy into the turbulent world."

Xi said upon his arrival, as reported by the official Xinhua news agency. "China is ready to enhance political mutual trust, build strategic consensus, and deepen exchanges during the visit."

Western diplomats have expressed fear that Macron's main goal in the meetings would be to warn Xi not to back Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Macron stressed that maintaining the stability of the international order and fostering peace need cooperation with China.

In a Thursday-published interview with The Economist, Macron said, "We should try to get China to comment on the stability of the international order." "We must, therefore, work with China to build peace."

Though rights organizations are pushing Macron to address human rights concerns during the discussions, his position of not aligning Europe with China or the U.S. has drawn attention.

The Uyghur Muslim minority and the repression of journalists in China are two topics that Human Rights Watch has urged Macron to bring up.

Human Rights Watch's acting China director, Maya Wang, stated that President Macron needed to make it plain to Xi Jinping that Beijing's crimes against humanity have an impact on China's ties with France.

Experts are dubious about Macron's capacity to materially impact Xi's policies, despite the cordial greeting and stunning Pyrenees environment.

As per analysts, Macron's remarks on Russian military support and market-distorting methods may not have a significant effect on Chinese behavior, given that Xi selected Serbia and Hungary as his other tour sites, both of which are seen as favorable towards Moscow. 

Source: AFP