Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon local time, the first stop on a three-nation European tour. Xi, who was welcomed in Paris by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, said in a written statement that over the past 60 years, China-France relations have long been at the forefront of China’s relations with major Western countries, setting a good example for the international community on peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries with different systems.

The development of China-France relations has not only benefited the two peoples, but also “injected stability and positive energy” into the turbulent world, the Chinese leader said.

In a separate article in the French daily Le Figaro, the Chinese president said he had come to France with three messages: That Beijing is determined to open ‘new horizons’ in its relations with France, to open up to the world ‘even more’ and to safeguard world peace and stability.

Xi’s visit to France comes as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

Xi will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paris today, 6 May.

On Tuesday, Macron will take the Chinese leader and his wife to the Pyrenees mountains, where he used to visit his grandmother as a child. The two couples are also expected to take a cable car to the top of the 2,877-metre Pic du Midi, a dark sky reserve.

After France, the Chinese leader will travel to Serbia and Hungary, two countries with close ties to Russia.

Crisis agenda

The talks will focus on international crises, in particular the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East,’ the Elysee Palace said in a statement ahead of the visit last week.

Macron is expected to ask Xi to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine. In an interview with the Economist last week, the French president argued that the war was existential for Europe.

In addition to the war in Ukraine, Europe is also concerned about China’s trade practices and has launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies to electric car makers, amid concerns that such payments undermine competition and hurt European companies.

Macron told the Economist that he would also tell Xi why Europe must protect its own manufacturers and industries.

On Sunday night, von der Leyen also signalled the EU’s continued displeasure with China, which she said was “currently producing with huge subsidies”.

Promoting strategic autonomy

In a press briefing on 29 April after China announced the visit, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye said: ‘President Xi will have a comprehensive and in-depth strategic communication with French President Emmanuel Macron on China-France and China-Europe relations. He will encourage France to maintain strategic autonomy and openness in cooperation, thus leading Europe to build a more independent, objective and friendly understanding of China and resist negative trends such as ‘de-risking’ and ‘de-dependence’ on China,’ he said.

Trade deals expected

People familiar with the negotiations said China could announce an order for around 50 Airbus planes during Xi’s visit, but it remains unclear whether this will lead to a new deal.

Pierre Picquart, an expert in geopolitics and human geography at the University of Paris-VIII, told the Global Times that Xi’s visit is important in three ways:

‘Economically, it could pave the way for trade agreements and promote mutually beneficial investment in key sectors such as technology, innovation, energy and infrastructure. Diplomatically, it provides an ideal platform to strengthen coordination and cooperation between China and France on key global issues such as climate change, international security and public health. On the cultural and educational front, this visit can open up new opportunities for cooperation in education, research and culture, thereby strengthening exchanges between our peoples and deepening our mutual understanding.

Special welcome for Xi

Chinese and French national flags were hoisted at one end of the Champs-Élysées boulevard and on the street in front of Les Invalides to welcome Xi.

On Sunday afternoon, near the Arc de Triomphe in central Paris, many Chinese and French students waved Chinese and French national flags to welcome Xi Jinping. The students carried banners saying “Long live China-France friendship” and “We wish President Xi a successful visit to France”.

In preparation for Xi’s visit and to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, various events were organised.

A symposium on “Exchange and Mutual Learning between Chinese and French Civilisations” was held on Friday. Co-organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Beijing and the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilisations in Paris, the symposium brought together nearly 100 scholars from the two countries to discuss China-France cross-cultural exchange practices, scientific and technological innovation, and the future of civilisation.

Antoine Broussy, director of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation, told the Global Times that many other special events have been organised in Paris.

Xi will be officially received by Macron at the Elysee Palace today. This will be followed by a state dinner to mark 60 years of relations between France and the People’s Republic of China.

Chinese support for Macron’s calls

French President Macron’s call for Europe’s ‘strategic autonomy’ is a recurring theme.

Both Xi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi have previously said that China supports Europe strengthening its strategic autonomy and taking its future into its own hands.

During his visit to China last year, French President Macron warned Europe against being drawn into a US-China confrontation over Taiwan, prompting the US magazine Foreign Policy to describe strategic autonomy as ‘a French pipe dream’.

He Zhigao, a research fellow at the CASS Institute for European Studies, told the Global Times that the US wants to keep Europe under tight control to bind it to the Washington-led Western camp.

If Europe looks at China from a global perspective that can benefit the world, China is an opportunity. But if it is on the side of the US, then China should be a challenge,’ he said, adding that China’s engagement with Europe is for common development.

According to a report by Business France, China has been the largest Asian country in terms of investment and job creation in France for three consecutive years. While Sino-French development in core sectors such as aviation, nuclear energy and trade is flourishing, emerging areas such as renewable energy and the digital economy are likely to become new engines of growth.

Xin Hua, Director and Chair Professor of the Centre for European Union Studies at the Shanghai Graduate School of International Studies, believes that China-France relations are the cornerstone of China-Europe relations: France is one of the most important core members of the EU, and its strategic orientations play a decisive role in the EU’s integration process and the strategic and security model of the European continent. As long as China and France maintain positive interaction, China-Europe relations will remain stable.

Divisive discussions

The 27 members of the EU, particularly France and Germany, are divided over their stance on China.

According to The Guardian, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will not join Macron and Xi in Paris because of prior commitments.

There is no consensus in Europe on this issue because some actors still see China mainly as a market of opportunities,’ Macron said, without naming any countries.

France will also seek progress on opening up the Chinese market to its agricultural exports and address the concerns of the French cosmetics industry over intellectual property rights, officials said.

Ahead of Xi’s visit, Western media described the Chinese leader’s tour as ‘an attempt to divide Europe’. According to the Financial Times, Xi is trying to increase his influence in the region by playing on Europe’s ‘fissures’.

According to Matt Geracim, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Centre, the Chinese president went to Europe with three objectives: ‘to repair relations in Europe damaged by China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, to blunt the EU’s economic security agenda against China, and to showcase Beijing’s strong ties with its loyal partners Serbia and Hungary’.

Chinese experts told the Global Times that these claims are ‘paranoid’ and that Xi’s visit is aimed at boosting exchanges with Europe in all areas, especially trade.