As the world watches, China’s President Xi Jinping is set to embark on a rare visit to Europe, with his first stop being France. The two-day state visit will take place on Monday and Tuesday, and will include a gala dinner hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU Commission, will also be present. Despite tensions between the EU and China straining in recent years, particularly following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, it remains to be seen whether any significant changes in relations will occur during Xi’s visit.
Elina Sinkkonen, a senior researcher at an institute specializing in foreign policy, believes that change is unlikely during Xi’s trip. In addition to concerns over China’s relationship with Russia and efforts by European countries to reduce dependence on China, Chinese electric cars flooding the EU market and suspicions of Chinese espionage have only further strained EU-China relations. Nevertheless, France has welcomed Xi with open arms despite recent tensions between the two nations. After his time in France, Xi will continue his trip to Serbia and Hungary later in the week. Unlike France, these countries have maintained positive attitudes towards both China and Russia. This visit marks Xi’s first time outside of Russia since 2019 before the pandemic began.
As Europe braces for this historic meeting between its leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping
