French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing, China on the 3rd to begin a two-night, three-day state visit. President Macron visited for about two and a half years after April 2023, and this is the fourth time since taking office as president in 2017.
According to Associated Press and others, President Macron's visit took place in response to Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France last year.
President Macron and his wife, Mrs. Bridget, arrived at Beijing Airport late this afternoon. In the cold weather, Mrs. Bridget drew attention by wearing a red coat and handbag favored by Chinese people. The two were received by Wang Yi, the head of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China (and Minister of Foreign Affairs).
It is reported that the President and his wife will visit the 18th century Qianlong Garden in the Forbidden City this evening.
The summit between the two countries will be held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the 4th. At this meeting, the two leaders will discuss the direction of development of bilateral relations and exchange opinions on international issues in general. France is focusing on expanding domestic investment by Chinese companies and improving market access for French products, and it is expected that various agreements will be signed in the energy, food, and aviation sectors. Also, since France expects China to exert influence on Russia to induce an end to the war in Ukraine, it is expected that related discussions will also be included.
After the meeting, the two leaders will attend the France-China Business Forum together. President Macron will also meet with Chairman of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji and Chinese Prime Minister Li Chang, who is ranked 3rd in China. On the 5th, he will travel to Chengdu, Sichuan Province to meet with students from Sichuan University.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Zhen said the day before, “The current international situation is messy and troubling,” and “China hopes that this visit will make new progress in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, promote the healthy and stable development of the relationship between China and the European Union (EU), and contribute to multilateralism and world peace and stability.”
