Beijing: French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing today, aiming to strengthen economic ties and open space for deeper diplomatic cooperation during a period of growing tension between China and the European Union.

Macron arrived with a large delegation of business leaders from sectors including aviation, luxury goods, banking and agriculture. The visit signals France’s effort to maintain strong commercial relations with China while Europe is preparing tougher trade rules on Chinese subsidised industries such as electric vehicles.

Officials said the talks focused on trade relations, multilateral cooperation and geopolitical issues. Macron also hoped to encourage China to use its influence with Russia to push forward discussions on ending the war in Ukraine. However, analysts believe expectations for major breakthroughs remain low.

Reports say China is unlikely to confirm a large purchase of 500 Airbus aircraft during the visit, despite months of speculation. Beijing is also not expected to remove tariffs on French wine and spirits, a key request from French exporters affected by declining sales.

Economic experts note that France continues to face a significant trade deficit with China. French companies often struggle to compete with local industries and face restrictions in public sector procurement. At the same time, major companies like Airbus and French luxury brands continue to consider China a vital market.

Political observers believe Beijing is using high level meetings such as this one to maintain strong relations with individual European countries while responding to broader EU pressure.

China has recently expressed a desire for France to take a more understanding position on sensitive regional matters, including issues related to Taiwan.

Despite limited expectations for major agreements, both sides expressed willingness to keep communication open and continue cooperation in areas such as technology, education, climate and cultural exchange.

The visit is seen as part of a wider European effort to balance economic dependence on China with concerns over global security, trade fairness and diplomatic influence.