Visiting the Dragon: Macron arrives in China on his fourth state visit
Emmanuel Macron arrived in China on a three-day visit that will last from December 3 to 5. Paris and Beijing are trying to overcome differences in their views on the principles of international politics and trade. The main goal of the French president is to convince Chinese President Xi Jinping to put pressure on Russia. At the same time, the politician tries to do this carefully, so as not to spoil economic relations with China, which are important for the entire European Union. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Massive changes
French leader Emmanuel Macron's visit to China was his fourth trip to this country as president. On December 4, Macron held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, at the People's Assembly House.
Initially, Paris announced that one of the topics of the meeting would be efforts to end the Ukrainian conflict. According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrault, France expects that China, also a member of the UN Security Council, "will put pressure on Russia so that Vladimir Putin could not agree on a cease-fire."
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron during the welcoming ceremony
"China can play a crucial role in helping Russia make the right decision," the French minister said. In addition, Macron, as explained in the Elysee Palace, is going to warn Xi Jinping that China "refrain from providing the Russian Federation with any means to continue the war."
Western countries have repeatedly openly accused Beijing of providing economic assistance to Moscow, including the supply of important military components for its defense industry. The PRC rejects all these accusations, stating that the country stands for peaceful negotiations and respect for the territorial integrity of all states.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron at the document signing ceremony
At the talks in the Chinese capital, Macron asked Xi Jinping to support the EU's attempts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. In particular, to help establish a moratorium on attacks on energy facilities in winter.
In response, the Chinese president called on the President of the French Republic to show responsibility and determination at a time when the world is "experiencing unprecedented large-scale changes in a century."
"Humanity is once again at a crossroads, deciding where to go next. China and France must show responsibility and determination, raise the banner of multipolarity high, break through the darkness and fog, and stand firmly on the right side of history," Xi Jinping said.
On behalf of the entire EU
The second topic of the negotiations was the economy. It is no coincidence that the French delegation included the heads of several dozen leading companies.
China is France's important trading partner, buying $35 billion worth of goods annually. However, Emmanuel Macron negotiated not only on behalf of France, but also on behalf of the European Union, which has long been concerned about the large trade imbalance between the two sides. In particular, the trade deficit between China and the EU is over 300 billion euros.
Qingdao Cargo Port in eastern China
Relations between Paris and Beijing are complicated by the fact that it was France that convinced the European Union last year to impose duties on electric vehicles from China. This year, China restricted the export of its rare earths, France again preferred a rather harsh response, as a result of which dairy and pork producers who actively trade with China were seriously concerned.
The leaders discussed Brussels' intentions to tighten trade rules. Beijing, as reported by Reuters, advocates easing trade tensions with the EU over duties on Chinese electric vehicles.
BYD Electric car production in China Factory
Following the talks in Beijing, Macron called for creating conditions for the growth of Chinese investment in the EU economy, which would contribute to the creation of new industries. The French president believes that Brussels needs reform so that the EU can "become more competitive and invest more."
Despite the difficulties in cooperation, Macron knows how to woo his Chinese counterpart. He either distances France and the European Union as a whole from the US-China trade war, or declares that the EU should not rigidly follow in the wake of American policy, blindly supporting Taipei. The day before, the French leader also said that France, which is hosting the G7 summit next year, would like to invite the Chinese president.
Big panda cubs at the Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu, China
Macron will now visit the city of Chengdu, located in southwestern China.
This city is home to the largest research base in China for breeding large pandas. A couple of pandas from the French zoo returned there the day before, 13 years later. They are considered Chinese property, but Beijing rents them out to other countries as a sign of friendship.
What do the experts think
Pavel Timofeev, Head of the Regional Problems and Conflicts Sector at the IMEMO of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with Izvestia that France's relations with China remain difficult.
"On the one hand, trade is very important for France, since China is its fifth trading partner and the third trading partner of the EU, so France does not want to follow the United States in their trade war with China," the political scientist believes.
The expert added that France nevertheless sees China as a political rival with an alien ideology and seeks to get rid of dependence on China in terms of technology and resources.
— Finally, France and China have different views on the Ukrainian conflict, and France's attempts to use China to put pressure on Russia have failed. So, I think they can agree on new contracts and supplies in terms of trade, but I don't expect any special breakthroughs in political terms," the specialist concluded.
American political scientist Malek Dudakov, in turn, believes that with the help of a visit to China, the EU is trying to put pressure on US President Donald Trump.
"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Macron almost simultaneously began to make a turn towards China. The British prime minister called the refusal to strengthen cooperation with China a "failure to fulfill his duties," the expert noted in his Telegram channel.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron at the British-French summit. July 10, 2025
The specialist explained that London has already agreed on the construction of the largest Chinese embassy in Europe with an area of 120,000 square meters.
"Although this has caused hysteria among anti—Chinese hawks on both sides of the Atlantic, they are confident that the Chinese secret services will now turn London into their enclave. The recent drama with the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was also interpreted by many in the United States as Britain's capitulation to its Chinese ally in the Indian Ocean," he stressed.
The analyst added that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will follow Macron to China.
"The Europeans are transparently hinting to Trump: if the White House does not take into account their demands in the context of Ukraine, they will side with China in the confrontation with the United States. And they will not impose any tariffs against China at Washington's call. The "Coalition of the Willing" raises the stakes in the war with Trump against the background of the complete collapse of transatlantic unity," Dudakov summed up.
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