{"id":32957,"date":"2025-12-05T07:50:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T05:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=32957"},"modified":"2025-12-06T08:37:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T06:37:19","slug":"frances-macron-visits-china-to-meet-xi-jinping-for-trade-talks-and-renewed-push-for-ukraine-ceasefire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/frances-macron-visits-china-to-meet-xi-jinping-for-trade-talks-and-renewed-push-for-ukraine-ceasefire\/","title":{"rendered":"France\u2019s Macron visits China to meet Xi Jinping for trade talks and renewed push for Ukraine ceasefire"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>French President Emmanuel Macron met China\u2019s President Xi Jinping in Beijing on December 4, 2025, calling on China to use its influence to support a ceasefire in Ukraine and to help address Europe\u2019s widening trade imbalance with the world\u2019s second-largest economy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The talks took place in the Great Hall of the People during Macron\u2019s three-day state visit, his fourth to China since taking office, and came as France prepares to assume the G7 presidency next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron said France and China must work together despite their differences, stressing the need for cooperation on global security and economic governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xi echoed the sentiment, calling for \u201cmore stable\u201d ties and urging both countries to maintain what he described as the \u201cindependence and strategic vision of major powers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chinese President Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan hosted France\u2019s Macron and his wife Brigitte with a formal red-carpet welcome, complete with an honor guard and rows of flag-waving children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron smiled and blew kisses to the crowd as national anthems played before the two leaders entered the hall for their meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">President Xi Jinping held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmmanuelMacron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EmmanuelMacron<\/a>, who is on a state visit to China. <br><br>Both China and France are independent, visionary and responsible major countries and constructive forces in promoting multipolarity in the world and\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/11ZLnEGDIe\">pic.twitter.com\/11ZLnEGDIe<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Mao Ning \u6bdb\u5b81 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpoxCHN_MaoNing\/status\/1996458874560553461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><strong>Calls for Ceasefire in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A central theme of the talks was the war in Ukraine, now nearing its fourth year. Macron is leading European efforts to shape negotiations and counter elements of a U.S.-backed peace plan criticized by some European governments for aligning too closely with Russian demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He told Xi that \u201cour capacity to work together is decisive,\u201d adding that the conflict \u201cposes a vital threat to European security, but also to respect for the international order based on the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xi reiterated Beijing\u2019s message that China supports all efforts toward peace. \u201cChina supports all efforts committed to peace and hopes that all parties will reach a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement that is acceptable to all parties through dialogue and negotiation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The French Presidential Office said Macron emphasized that China must refrain from providing any form of assistance that could support Russia\u2019s military capabilities. Western governments have accused Beijing of supplying dual-use components that feed into Russia\u2019s defense industry, though China denies providing direct military aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron\u2019s visit follows his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier in the week. Zelenskyy urged European leaders to remain united as winter approaches, and Washington pushes its own plan to end the conflict. \u201cWe share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end,\u201d Zelenskyy wrote after meeting Macron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Trade Tensions and Economic Concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trade featured prominently in discussions. France\u2019s trade deficit with China reached $53 billion in 2024, while the EU\u2019s broader deficit rose to $357 billion. Macron said China and Europe must address structural imbalances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron has repeatedly called for reducing Europe\u2019s dependence on Chinese supply chains and promoting what he describes as \u201cEuropean preference\u201d in sectors such as advanced technology. Last month, he told a European tech forum that the continent could not be a \u201cvassal\u201d to either U.S. or Chinese tech giants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China, for its part, is looking to ease tensions with the EU over its heavily subsidized electric vehicle sector and present itself as a stable partner as trade frictions with Washington intensify under U.S. tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-France-leaders-meeting.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-France-leaders-meeting.jpg?resize=1016%2C622&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"French President Emmanuel Macron meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping\" class=\"wp-image-32960\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-France-leaders-meeting.jpg?resize=1024%2C627&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-France-leaders-meeting.jpg?resize=300%2C184&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-France-leaders-meeting.jpg?resize=768%2C470&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-France-leaders-meeting.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sub><sup>French President Emmanuel Macron meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on December 4, 2025. (Image Credit: X\/@AmbassadeChine)<\/sup><\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe imbalances we see accumulating today are not sustainable,\u201d Macron told Xi. \u201cThere are solutions,\u201d he added, calling for rules that were \u201cfairer and stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xi said China and France should \u201calways demonstrate the independence and strategic vision of major powers\u201d and respect each other\u2019s core interests. He also urged deeper cooperation in aerospace, nuclear energy, green technology, artificial intelligence, and biopharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, no major commercial deals were signed during the ceremony, despite months of discussions over a large Airbus order. Analysts noted that Beijing is unlikely to approve a purchase of around 500 aircraft while it is engaged in parallel trade negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>EU-China Trade Pressures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron also raised concerns about China\u2019s restrictions on exports of critical minerals. Beijing\u2019s controls on rare-earth elements have alarmed European industries that depend heavily on these materials for electric vehicles, semiconductors, and clean-energy technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is essential to create an environment of trust and to deal with every instability risk in supply chains,\u201d Macron said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China is France\u2019s seventh-largest trading partner, importing around $35 billion in French goods annually. Cosmetics, aircraft components, and alcoholic spirits account for a significant share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>France, in turn, imports about $45 billion in Chinese goods, many of them low-value parcels purchased through online platforms and benefiting from EU customs waivers for goods under $175.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xi said China is ready to import more high-quality French products and wants France to offer a fair business environment for Chinese companies. He added that China and Europe should resist protectionism, arguing that global supply chains are deeply interconnected and that \u201cdecoupling\u201d would undermine growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">President Xi Jinping attended the closing ceremony of the Seventh Meeting of the China-France Business Council with French President Emmanuel Macron <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmmanuelMacron?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@EmmanuelMacron<\/a> and delivered remarks.<br><br>This year, China and France have entered the second 60 years of diplomatic relations. The\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V3fYF74rGG\">pic.twitter.com\/V3fYF74rGG<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Mao Ning \u6bdb\u5b81 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpoxCHN_MaoNing\/status\/1996464082552258645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br><strong>Panda Diplomacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two leaders also discussed cultural and scientific exchanges. Xi announced a new agreement on panda conservation, noting that \u201cthe French people love giant pandas.\u201d Two pandas loaned to France were recently returned to China, and Beijing has promised to send new Pandas to continue the program. Macron will travel to Chengdu, home to China\u2019s leading panda research centers, before concluding his visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a banquet hosted by Xi and Peng Liyuan, the leaders highlighted 60 years of diplomatic relations and pledged to deepen cooperation in fields ranging from education and renewable energy to artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents covering nuclear energy, agri-food products, ecological protection, and population ageing. Details of the agreements were not disclosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Global Governance and Multilateralism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both leaders discussed broader geopolitical challenges, including the conflict in Gaza and concerns about global economic inequality. Xi said China would provide an additional $100 million in aid for Palestinian reconstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He emphasized that China and France, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should uphold multilateralism and work to reform global economic governance to give developing countries greater representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron said Europe and China should maintain dialogue and cooperation despite global instability. He reaffirmed France\u2019s commitment to the one-China policy and said Europe must pursue \u201cstrategic autonomy\u201d in its relations with global powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Macron will conclude his trip on Friday after accompanying Xi to Sichuan, marking a rare joint provincial visit by the Chinese leader, who seldom travels outside Beijing with foreign heads of state.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-Xi-France-Macron.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-Xi-France-Macron.jpg?resize=1016%2C719&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Chinese President Xi Jinping with French President Emmanuel Macron\" class=\"wp-image-32961\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-Xi-France-Macron.jpg?resize=1024%2C725&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-Xi-France-Macron.jpg?resize=300%2C213&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-Xi-France-Macron.jpg?resize=768%2C544&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/China-Xi-France-Macron.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Chinese President Xi Jinping with French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing, China on December 4, 2025. (Image Credit: X\/@XisMoments)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>French President Emmanuel Macron met China\u2019s President Xi Jinping in Beijing on December 4, 2025, calling on China to use its influence to support a ceasefire in Ukraine and to help address Europe\u2019s widening trade imbalance with the world\u2019s second-largest economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32958,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[124,62,1],"tags":[137,380,45,208,134,24,357,64,963,71,296,22],"class_list":["post-32957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-europe","category-news","tag-asia","tag-asia-pacific","tag-china","tag-diplomacy","tag-economy","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-france","tag-minerals","tag-politics","tag-trade","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/France-Macron-China-Xi.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8zz","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32957"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32964,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32957\/revisions\/32964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}