French President Emmanuel Macron intends to deepen personal ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during his two-day visit to France, according to Bloomberg.
Macron also aims to urge the Chinese leader to persuade Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Sources of the publication reported that Macron also intends to attract Chinese investments in the production of electronic batteries in France.
In particular, the French president intends to charm Xi with a dinner at the Elysée Palace in Paris, where French cognac may be on the menu, which Beijing is investigating for anti-dumping.
Then Macron will invite his Chinese counterpart to a corner of the Pyrenees, where the French president visited his grandmother in childhood.
Xi's European tour
Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Europe for the first time in about five years against the backdrop of growing tensions with the West on a range of issues, including trade, accusations of espionage, and Beijing's support for Russia.
Xi's visit will take place from May 5 to May 10, during which he plans to visit France, Serbia, and Hungary.
In particular, he will visit the Serbian capital Belgrade on the 25th anniversary of the accidental bombing by Americans of the Chinese embassy in the city.
China's aid to Russia
Since the start of military actions in Ukraine, China's position has remained ambiguous. Beijing has not directly condemned Russia's actions and has not imposed sanctions against it.
Instead, China has taken advantage of the situation where Western markets have closed to Russia and increased cooperation with it.
Officially, Russia does not receive direct supplies of weapons from China. However, according to Associated Press data for 2023, about 90% of microelectronics used in Russia were imported from China.
Such support raises concerns in the United States. US Deputy Secretary of State Vedant Patel stated that Washington is prepared for new sanctions against China if its assistance to the Russian defense industry is proven.
