Hong Kong (CNN) Xi Jinping may have started his recent trip to Europe by answering tough questions in France about trade and Russia's war in Ukraine, but the Chinese leader ended his stay late last week with a clear message : despite frictions with a large part of the continent, China still has fans in some European capitals.
Beijing's power was visible in Belgrade and Budapest, where the streets were adorned with Chinese flags. As Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan landed at airports in both cities, folk dancers performed on the tarmac and, in contrast to the low-key welcome the couple received in Paris, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were on hand to greet them. .
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