China's Xi in Paris to meet Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen were set to press China's President Xi Jinping on Monday to reduce trade imbalances and use his influence on Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Xi was in Europe for the first time in five years, at a time of growing trade tensions, with the European Union investigating several Chinese industries including electric vehicle exports, while Beijing is probing mostly French-made imports of brandy.

"The current imbalances in market access are not sustainable and need to be addressed," von der Leyen said in a statement, calling Europe's relation with China "one of the most complex, but also one of the most important."

"Europe cannot accept such market distorting practices that could lead to de-industrialization in Europe," she said.

In a statement released on his arrival in Paris, Xi praised ties between the two nations.

Xi said ties between China and France were "a model for the international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems."

France hopes to nudge China into pressuring Moscow to halt operations in Ukraine, with little progress apart from Xi's decision to call President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the first time shortly after Macron visited Beijing last year.


Reuters