President Xi Jinping arrived in France for his big trip to Europe; It has been five years since his last visit and relations between the EU and China have been on a difficult path.
There has also been the pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine wasand now a The global trade battle is brewing.
For President Xi, this European tour is as much about trying to balance the relationship as it is about projecting Chinese power to the world.
France takes first place on the red carpet itinerary.
Xi Jinping It meets President Emmanuel Macron and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
An honor guard was waiting for President Xi at Orly airport. Photo: AP
Macron received the president at the Elysee Palace on Monday morning. Photo: Reuters
Russia will be a difficult issue for all of them.
Europe and the United States say Porcelain is shipping “dual-use” items, such as semiconductors and machine tools, to Russia, allowing it to continue making weapons and waging war in Ukraine.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has put China on notice, saying that if it doesn’t “address the problem,” the United States will. China says it is free to trade with any country it chooses.
At the beginning of the trip there were protests over Tibet and freedom of the press in Paris. Photos: AP
Therefore, few expect any major breakthroughs in the Ukraine war from the Chinese president’s European tour.
On Tuesday, Macron plans to take Xi to the Pyrenees, but a brewing trade war also looms over any mountain trek.
At the center is China’s insatiable appetite for manufacturing. electric vehicles.
China’s ability to make cheap electric vehicles is causing concern in Europe. Photo: Reuters
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Its electric vehicle industry has caught up and surpassed the West.
It produces them at a scale and at a price that Europe’s big car-producing countries, such as France and Germany, cannot compete with.
Ursula von der Leyen has accused China of “overcapacity”, sending electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels to Europe at exorbitant prices.
China says the world needs its green energy technology and has warned Europe against “protectionism” and imposing tariffs on its products. Difficult conversations lie ahead.
After France, President Xi heads to Serbia and Hungary, countries that have warm relations with China and Russia.