Tough talks ahead as China's president touches down for European trip

China's President Xi Jinping is embarking on a rare visit to Paris, with French President Emmanuel Macron poised to address pressing issues such as trade imbalances and seek Chinese support regarding the conflict in Ukraine. However, achieving these objectives during Xi's brief two-day visit to France will prove challenging, given the backdrop of escalating trade tensions between Europe and China. France is actively supporting a European Union investigation into Chinese exports of electric vehicles, while Beijing's recent initiation of an inquiry into brandy imports, predominantly from France, is widely perceived as retaliatory. Against this backdrop, Macron's administration is keen to emphasise the necessity of obtaining further assurances from Chinese authorities on trade matters. Xi's visit marks his first trip to Europe in half a decade, underscoring the significance of the occasion. #XiJinping #EmmanuelMacron #ChinaFranceRelations #TradeTalks #UkraineConflict #RussiaUkraineWar #ChinaEU #Tensions #FranceChinaTrade #Diplomacy #GlobalRelations #LeadershipSummit #InternationalAffairs #Geopolitics #DiplomaticRelations ~HT.178~PR.152~ED.102~GR.124~