With this visit to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China, Xi Jinping begins his first trip to Europe since 2019. During it, he will also visit Serbia and Hungary.
The fact that the Chinese president chose France as the only major European country to visit shows a relative warming of relations between Beijing and Paris after Macron’s own state visit to China in April 2023. It is also a recognition of France’s leadership status.
More than 1.4 billion the head of the populous communist state, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, was welcomed by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport.
On Monday, Xi Jinping will hold talks in Paris, including with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, before attending a banquet at the Elysée Palace.
On Tuesday, Macron will travel with his guest to the Pyrenees, an area he visited as a child, for more private talks.
According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi Jinping said the development of Sino-French relations “brought stability and positive energy to a troubled world” and that China is ready to “strengthen political mutual trust, seek strategic consensus and deepen exchanges” during the visit.
