Xi Jinping state visit to France on May 6 and 7, Ukraine on the agenda of his meeting with Emmanuel Macron

The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, is expected on a state visit to France on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 May to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, but also to discuss international crises with Emmanuel Macron, including the war in Ukraine. This visit to France by the Chinese president takes place one year after that of the French president in Beijing and Canton, in April 2023, recalled the Elysee in a press release.

Xi Jinping is due to land in Paris on Sunday evening, May 5. The Chinese president and his wife, Peng Liyuan, will then be received on Monday May 6 by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron in Paris, where a state dinner is planned at the Elysee Palace. On May 7, the two couples will go to the Hautes-Pyrnes, to the Col du Tourmalet, the legendary climb of the Tour de France, where the French head of state wants to share a more intimate moment with his counterpart. traveled in his childhood to visit his maternal grandmother, Germaine Nogus, who died in 2013 and who lived in Bagnres-de-Bigorre.

The discussions will focus on international crises, primarily the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, trade issues, scientific, cultural and sporting cooperation as well as our common actions in the face of global issues, notably the climate emergency, the protection of biodiversity and the financial situation of the most vulnerable countriesadded the French presidency. As a year ago in China, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will be involved in a trilateral exchange on Monday in Paris.

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This is the start of the Chinese head of state's first European tour since the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the Asian country interrupt a number of interactions with the rest of the world for a long time. After his visit to France, Xi Jinping must notably make stops in Serbia, then in Hungary, where he is expected from May 8 to 10, the Chinese authorities also confirmed on Monday.

Call to bring Russia back to sanity

Paris evokes a very political visit without major contracts to expect, even if Emmanuel Macron hopes to attract new Chinese investments, particularly in electric batteries. Lin Jian, spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, estimated for his part that the two leaders will try to make further contributions to world peace, stability, development and progress.

China as one of Russia's main partnersparticularly in diplomatic and commercial matters, the French head of state intends encourage it to use the levers it has over Moscow in order to change Russia's calculations and to be able to contribute to a resolution of this conflictexplained Elyse. He I would have called the others on the activity of certain Chinese companies which could directly contribute significantly to the Russian war effortadded an advisor.

The Chinese authorities say they are officially neutral on the subject of the conflict in Ukraine and call for a peace solution, but have never condemned the Russian invasion. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, Beijing's privileged partner, is also due to go to China in May. A year ago in China, Emmanuel Macron called Xi Jinping bring Russia back to sanity with regard to Ukraine and everyone at the negotiating table. Shortly after, the Chinese president called his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, for the first time since the start of the conflict, in February 2022. But the diplomatic advances expected by Paris on the Russian-Ukrainian front stopped there.

The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, also asked President Xi in mid-April for Beijing to put pressure on Moscow to stop its senseless campaign in Ukraine, while affirming German-Chinese support for a peace conference planned for June in Switzerland. The Chinese number one also received last week the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, to whom he called on the United States be partners, not rivals. The American Secretary of State, for his part, said he had expressed to China his concerns regarding the support provided to Russia, affirming that the invasion of Ukraine would be more difficult without the support of Beijing.

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Last year, Xi Jinping received Emmanuel Macron Canton for a tea ceremony in the residence of the governor of Guangdong province, where his father, Xi Zhongxun, had lived when he held this position, from 1978 to 1981.

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The World with AFP

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