FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has called on China to deepen cooperation with France on global stability, trade and environmental policy, as the European Union looks to Beijing to use its influence to help end the war in Ukraine while China seeks diplomatic advantage amid escalating U.S. tariffs.
Reuters cited today that Macron, making his fourth state visit to the world’s second-largest economy, is accompanied by a substantial business delegation as he attempts to revitalise his foreign policy standing and secure industrial deals in the final years of his presidency.
China, meanwhile, is keen to ease tensions with the European Union over its subsidised electric vehicle sector and present itself as a dependable commercial partner at a moment when recession risks mount in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariff actions.
“Now, more than ever, dialogue between China and France is vital,” Macron told President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. “I propose a positive threefold agenda for our relations, one of geopolitical stability, of economic rebalancing, and of environmental sustainability.”
He added that both nations “have to continue to rally in favour of peace and stability in the world,” stressing that their ability to act together on Ukraine would be “decisive.”
Xi is due to accompany Macron to Sichuan province on Friday—a rare gesture for the Chinese leader, who seldom travels domestically with foreign dignitaries. But despite the cordial symbolism, analysts caution that considerable political constraints remain.
Beijing is not expected to approve a long-discussed 500-jet Airbus purchase, which would weaken its leverage with Washington as the U.S. presses China for new Boeing commitments.
Xi is likewise unlikely to loosen minimum pricing rules affecting French cognac imports, introduced during China’s anti-dumping investigation launched after the EU imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs.
A reduction of Chinese duties on European pork is also seen as improbable, with Beijing using the issue to push Brussels towards accepting minimum prices for Chinese electric vehicles—an EU measure France supported in October 2024.
Any movement by Xi on Ukraine is expected to remain limited by China’s recent assurances of continued support to Russia. The EU on Wednesday also unveiled new economic security policies designed to reduce the bloc’s dependency on China.
“No matter how the external environment changes, our two countries should always demonstrate the independence and strategic vision of major powers,” Xi told Macron, reiterating China’s stated commitment to promoting peace in both Ukraine and Gaza.
He used the visit to announce a further $100 million in aid for Palestinians—well below the €1.6 billion pledged by the EU over the next three years.
Xi also encouraged expanded cooperation with France in aerospace, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, the green economy and biopharmaceuticals.
The two governments signed 12 agreements after the talks, including on population ageing, bilateral investment, nuclear collaboration and panda conservation.
Macron has long sought to balance a firm European posture on China with efforts to avoid antagonising Beijing, given its importance as a market for major French companies.
Senior executives from Airbus, BNP Paribas, Schneider, Alstom and France’s dairy and poultry sectors are in China for the visit.
The EU’s goods trade deficit with China has surged by almost 60 per cent since 2019, and France’s own imbalance with China continues to widen.
“Our two countries have a role to play in laying out, with other partners, the foundations for rebalanced economic governance,” Macron told Xi, calling for trade rules that were “fairer and stronger” rather than centred on the “survival of the fittest”.
He said it was “essential to create an environment of trust and to deal with every instability risk in supply chains”.
China is France’s seventh-largest trading partner, importing around $35 billion of French goods annually, including cosmetics, aircraft parts and spirits.
France imports roughly $45 billion in Chinese products each year, much of it low-value consumer items shipped directly to EU customers through online platforms such as Shein, benefitting from a customs exemption on parcels valued below €150. - December 4, 2025
(US$1 = 0.8579 euros)
