Bold opening: A high-stakes balancing act unfolds as Macron and Xi stand shoulder-to-shoulder amid global commerce shifts, while Brussels tightens its trade rules.
French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, aiming to deepen commercial ties as the European Union moves to harden its trade framework. A sizable business delegation accompanies Macron on this fourth state visit to the world’s second-largest economy, signaling serious appetite on both sides for closer economic collaboration.
Macron is set to travel next to Chengdu in Sichuan province, joined by Xi. The entourage will be treated to lavish scenes, reflecting Beijing’s habit of grouping visiting leaders with top-tier hospitality. Yet despite the optics, neither a long-anticipated Airbus order nor potential relief from EU duties on French cognate exports—namely brandy, which currently faces heavy EU-imposed tariffs—appears imminent during this trip.
Beijing seeks to ease friction with Brussels over its subsidized electric-vehicle sector, which has provoked retaliatory measures on some European goods. At the same time, China recognizes that committing to a large Airbus order could undermine its leverage with Washington, which is pressing for a Boeing deal, and complicate Europe’s own upcoming economic-security policy initiatives.
Macron has previously emphasized presenting a united European front toward China while treading carefully to avoid antagonizing Beijing, given how central China remains as a major market for many French multinationals.
Among the attendees: top executives from Airbus, BNP Paribas, Schneider Electric, and Alstom, along with leaders from France’s dairy and poultry industries. The French president plans to sign a series of agreements with Xi after their discussions.
China is France’s seventh-largest trading partner, importing roughly $35 billion in goods annually, per Chinese customs data. About 10% of these are cosmetics, with aircraft parts and spirits among other notable exports. In return, France buys about $45 billion worth of Chinese goods, much of it low-value parcel shipments from online platforms, aided by an EU customs waiver for purchases under 150 euros.
Contextual note: The dynamic reflects a broader European strategy to recalibrate trade relations with China—seeking greater market access while addressing concerns over subsidies, competitive fairness, and strategic dependencies.
Keywords for context: Airbus, EU trade rules, Chinese subsidies, electric vehicles, Franco-Chinese economic ties, Brussels, Paris, Chengdu.
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