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France’s President Emmanuel Macron has warned of the risk of the “disintegration of the international order” as he met Xi Jinping in Beijing amid growing trade tensions between China and Europe.
“We are facing the risk of the disintegration of the international order that brought peace to the world for decades. In this context, dialogue between China and France is more essential than ever,” Macron said on Thursday after talks with the Chinese leader.
“We have many ways of convergence,” he added. “We sometimes have disagreements, but we have the responsibility to know how to overcome them . . . for an effective multilateralism in which we believe.”
Xi earlier called on Macron to “hold high the banner of multilateralism” and prevent others from interfering in their countries’ relationship, in remarks ahead of the bilateral talks.
The Chinese president’s comments at the Great Hall of the People were a veiled reference to charges that European policy towards China is being influenced by a hawkish US administration under President Donald Trump.
“China is willing to work with France to always proceed from the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the long-term interests of the international community and eliminate all kinds of interference,” Xi told Macron.
Macron’s visit to China is his fourth since he became president in 2017 and comes as he is set to take over the G7 presidency in 2026, when addressing global economic imbalances will be at the top of his agenda. Tensions have been growing between Beijing and Europe over China’s soaring trade and investment imbalances and export-led growth.
Macron said it was “time for a new page” in the two countries’ economic relationship and called for China to commit more investment to Europe by 2030 as part of an increase in bilateral investment, warning that current imbalances were “starting to become unsustainable”.
“If we continue on as we are, we will reach a crisis,” he said, warning that a trade war was “the worst way to deal with this”.
China’s export controls on rare earths, whose production it dominates and which are vital to industries from automobiles to defence, are also an acute concern for European countries.
In comments later on Thursday, Xi said he and Macron had agreed to greater co-operation in industries such as aerospace, nuclear energy, biopharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence as well as other areas such as panda conservation and “global governance”.
Xi said China’s next five-year plan, which is due to be formally released in March, offered opportunities for French industry despite Beijing’s repeated emphasis on industrial self-reliance.
“We support Chinese companies that have capacity and desire to invest in France,” Xi said in comments to business leaders, without committing to specific measures.
Xi also reiterated China’s position that it supported peace in Ukraine, but did not mention European demands that a ceasefire precede any peace talks. France has been keen to encourage China to act as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict but has had little success.
The talks came as a judge in France is expected to rule this week on the government’s proposed three-month ban on China-founded ecommerce retailer Shein’s operations in the country, after illegal products were found on its marketplace.
China has also opened anti-dumping investigations into European products. While a probe into cognac exports has largely been resolved, others — notably on EU dairy products — are under way, with decisions on additional tariffs expected within the coming weeks, according to industry leaders.
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