French President Emmanuel Macron is likely to visit China on Wednesday for his fourth state visit, as Europe seeks to balance economic challenges and security concerns.
Macron earlier sought to limit China's growing influence in the EU while remaining careful not to vilify Beijing.
Analysts suggest Macron should raise EU concerns with Beijing, including its “growing economic footprint and security threats.
The message, they believe, is hard to deliver since China’s doctrine remains on avoiding confrontations with trade partners and hostile nations. Macron will begin his trip from Beijing’s Forbidden City on Wednesday and is expected to meet President Xi Jinping on Thursday in the capital and again on Friday during a trip to Chengdu, in south-western Sichuan province.
His trip comes months after EU President Ursula von der Leyen said in July that relations between the EU and China were at an “inflection point.”
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are also expected to visit China next year.
Trade tensions between China and the EU have escalated sharply over the rise of cheap Chinese exports in steel sector, which are severely affecting European markets.
According to experts, the EU fears the fast rise of China in global manufacturing, making Beijing the sole competitor capable of challenging the Western powers.
Ahead of his fourth trip, Macron’s advisers said he would push for a rebalancing of trade dynamics with China. French carmakers, which are struggling to leave a mark in the Chinese market, are under severe pressure to succeed in their transition to EVs back home, a market that Chinese automakers dominate around the world with brands like BYD.
French aviation giant Airbus recently opened a new assembly line in China, however, it is most unlikely to secure the expected 500-jet order during Macron’s visit.
It will be interesting to see how the upcoming visit between the French President and his counterpart in China pans out.
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