After 5 years, the President of China Xi Jingping will visit Europe for the first time. As a part of his tour, He’ll visit France, Hungary, and Serbia next week.
This visit comes as China seeks to avert a trade war with the EU amidst growing suspicion about espionage incidents and its continued support for Russia during the war in Ukraine.
As part of his first tour, Mr Xi Jingping will first visit Paris, where he’ll have a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen on Monday (May 6).
This development comes around the time, when the European Union is planning to put tariffs on China made electric vehicles (EVs) early June. Earlier, it has further also launched an investigation into China’s unfair support for its own EV manufacturers.
As a result, China at this point cannot afford European union’s restriction and neither it offers anything to Europe at this point says Abigaël Vasselier, the director of foreign relations at Merics, a China focused German thinktank.
Vasselier further said that Xi will most likely lobby against EU’s anti-subsidy investigations, especially on electric vehicles (EVs) and on the stabilization of the bilateral relationship.
As noted by Vasselier, the personal relationship between Xi and Macron has been strengthening, particularly last year when the Chinese president hosted the French president for a private visit in Guangzhou.
Macron for long has asked Xi to pressure Russian president Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
Regarding the Xi-Macron relationship, it is highly probable that the French will reciprocate by inviting Xi to the Hautes-Pyrénées, a mountainous region in France, thereby further solidifying their ties.