Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, offering an uncommon sightseeing trip that underscored Beijing’s special focus on France within its broader relationship with the European Union. The gesture — rarely extended even to major world leaders — signals China’s intent to strengthen ties with Europe’s second-largest economy.
Even Donald Trump’s landmark 2017 visit to China remained confined to Beijing, despite Xi hosting him with a private dinner inside the Forbidden City. Macron’s visit, however, included a tour of Sichuan’s historical sites, reflecting Beijing’s desire to deepen its diplomatic engagement with Paris.
But analysts note that despite the warm optics, Macron’s visit has produced few tangible outcomes. While the trip boosts China’s diplomatic profile at a time when world leaders seek economic reassurance amid Trump-era tariffs, it gives Macron an opportunity to demonstrate statesmanship following a turbulent summer in French politics.
Investors are watching closely to see whether the day — which began with Macron jogging at Jincheng Lake Park before joining Xi at a historic dam — will lead to substantial commercial deals or progress on easing EU-China trade frictions. Macron travelled with CEOs of major French companies, hoping to unlock more business opportunities.
So far, Thursday’s meeting in Beijing produced only 12 cooperation agreements in areas such as ageing populations, nuclear energy, and panda conservation — with no disclosed financial commitments.
According to Alicia Garcia-Herrero of the Bruegel think tank, France likely expected more. “Macron probably felt that given Europe’s focus on economic security, Xi would offer significant concessions — but that didn’t happen,” she said.
Even so, Macron received a strong public reception at Sichuan University, where students crowded around him ahead of his speech urging China to consider its global responsibilities. He warned of fractures in the post–World War II multilateral order and challenged narratives suggesting Western decline.
Economic Interests Meet Political Limits
China sees France as a valuable entry point to influence the broader EU, but Xi’s room for manoeuvre is limited.
He was not expected to confirm a long-discussed 500-plane Airbus purchase, as doing so could weaken China’s leverage with Washington, which is pressing Beijing to commit to new Boeing orders. Xi also avoided easing restrictions on French cognac or pork imports, as this could undermine China’s negotiations with Brussels over EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
Nor could Xi offer breakthroughs on the war in Ukraine, given Beijing’s consistent support for Moscow. Similar recent visits by leaders from Spain and Germany yielded minimal results as well.
Chinese advisers privately claim that Beijing believes it now holds the upper hand, expecting the EU to eventually accept China’s minimum price proposal for EVs rather than maintain tariffs. They argue Europe relies too heavily on the United States and should rethink its China strategy independently.
Divide and Conquer Strategy?
Xi did not discuss an EU-China trade deal with Macron, even though Beijing recently raised the idea with Estonia’s foreign minister and touted it publicly. Formal negotiations on the EU-China investment pact were frozen in 2021.
The EU remains split over tariffs on Chinese EVs — France supported them, while Germany opposed. Analysts believe Beijing may try to exploit these divisions to advance its interests.
A European Commission official reiterated that Brussels has “no plans whatsoever” to pursue any trade agreement with China at this time.