French President Emmanuel Macron was escorted through Chengdu on Friday by Chinese President Xi Jinping, a rare gesture signaling Beijing’s focus on Paris amid broader European Union relations.
The visit, Macron’s fourth state trip to China, marks an unusual level of personal attention from Xi, reminiscent of the lavish treatment Xi extended to U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017, though Trump’s trip remained confined to Beijing.
For Macron, the journey offered an opportunity to project statesmanship following a turbulent summer in domestic politics, even if tangible outcomes remain limited.
Analysts say the visit has so far done little more than enhance China’s diplomatic profile while giving Macron a stage to demonstrate influence on the global stage.
The day began with Macron jogging alongside locals at Jincheng Lake Park before joining Xi at a historic dam site, a symbolic nod to China’s infrastructure achievements.
The French delegation included leaders from some of the country’s largest firms, underscoring the visit’s economic ambitions.
Yet Thursday’s meetings in Beijing produced only 12 cooperation agreements – covering areas from nuclear energy to panda conservation – without disclosing financial terms.
“I think they (France) thought Xi would be in a position to offer a lot,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, senior fellow at Bruegel. “Macron probably felt that given his weight and France’s push on economic security, they would get a deal. But nope.”
Beijing faces structural constraints that limit its capacity to offer France significant economic concessions. A long-anticipated 500-jet Airbus order is unlikely, as China seeks to preserve leverage in U.S. trade negotiations.
French cognac and pork producers can also expect no relief from tariffs, and there is no breakthrough on the war in Ukraine to report, with China reaffirming its support for Russia.
Recent visits by Spain’s King Felipe VI and Germany’s finance minister yielded similarly modest results, signaling Beijing’s preference to play the long game.
Chinese advisers suggest Europe is now increasingly dependent on China for trade security, particularly following renewed U.S. tariffs under Trump, but Brussels remains cautious.
Xi avoided discussions on an EU-wide trade pact with Macron, even though China has raised the prospect with individual member states in recent months.
The EU-China investment agreement has been frozen since 2021, and EU member states remain divided on key trade issues. France voted in favor of European Commission-imposed electric vehicle tariffs, while Germany opposed them, leaving China an opening to exploit intra-EU differences.
A European Commission official, speaking anonymously, underscored the limits of China’s overtures. “We have no plans whatsoever to have any kind of trade agreement with China,” the official said.
Macron’s trip highlights the delicate balancing act European leaders face: courting Chinese investment and economic partnership while maintaining alignment on strategic issues with the U.S. and within the EU.
Analysts say tangible economic breakthroughs may be less important than the symbolic signals Beijing and Paris are sending to each other – and to the wider world.
