War in Ukraine, trade with France, relationship with the EU… What are the challenges of Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to China?

One of the President’s objectives is “to attract more Chinese investments to France in sectors that allow us to accelerate our ecological transition”, explains the Elysée.

This is his fourth visit to China since his arrival at the Elysée in 2017. Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron, is going to the Asian giant for a state visit, from Wednesday December 3 to Friday December 5. He is expected in the capital, Beijing, and in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, in the center-west of the country. Franceinfo looks back at the main issues of this trip.

A ceasefire in Ukraine

As during his last trip to Beijing, in April 2023, where he called on President Xi Jinping to “bring Russia to its senses”Emmanuel Macron will seek his support for “influence and guide Moscow towards a ceasefire as quickly as possible”. These discussions promise to be crucial, at a time when negotiations are intensifying on both sides of the Atlantic for a way out of the crisis in Ukraine, and while the alliance between China and Russia is tilting in favor of Beijing. “We need to understand each other better on the Ukrainian question, to work better together to achieve a lasting, solid peace”assures the Elysée.

Western capitals accuse China of offering Moscow crucial economic support for its war effort. Beijing “supplies military components and cooperates with the defense industry” Russian, declared Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen in mid-November. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in April that Chinese were being recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine, and that Beijing knew it. China must “refrain from giving Russia any means whatsoever to continue the war”will insist Emmanuel Macron, according to the Elysée.

“We are counting on China, a permanent member like us, of the Security Council (…) to influence Russia, so that Russia and Vladimir Putin, in particular, can finally resolve to a ceasefire,” Jean-Noël Barrot, the head of French diplomacy, declared on Monday.

A “rebalancing” of trade between France and China

Investments between the two countries are contrasting. Pointing to a stock of French investments in China of around 46 billion euros compared to 12 in the other direction, the Elysée explains that Emmanuel Macron intends to bring a “flow rebalancing” between the two countries. “Chinese investors are welcome in France, particularly in sectors that allow us to ensure the French ecological and energy transition, whether sustainable mobility, batteries, photovoltaics”detailed an advisor to Emmanuel Macron, denouncing the cooperation between the Chinese XTC and the French Orano for the construction of three battery factories in Dunkirk (North).

China being a “important export market for many French companies”Emmanuel Macron travels accompanied by 35 bosses. Business leaders present in various sectors, such as energy, food, luxury, wines and spirits. These are also companies of different sizes, with representatives of SMEs and large groups. Among them are leaders of Veolia, Suez, EDF, Andros and Airbus. For the European aeronautical group, “there is a large volume of orders arriving”declared the Elysée, without giving further details.

Improved relations with the European Union

Even if the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will not be on the trip this time, unlike that of April 2023, this state visit by Emmanuel Macron will be “very rich in bilateral matters, ambitious on the European level”affirms the French presidency. “The angle is bilateral, but the angle is also European, since it is part of our identity and our DNA”underlines the Elysée. The aim is to reduce the massive trade deficit of 307 billion euros to the disadvantage of the European Union. “It is necessary for China to consume more and export less (…) and for Europeans to save less and produce more”insists an advisor to President Macron.

On the industry side, the European Union denounces a “unfair competition” of China, from electric cars to steel. She also accuses the Asian giant of exercising a form of “racket” in the supply of rare earths, a sector in which the country dominates world production.

It’s necessary “recreate the conditions of fair competition for all and economic cooperation beneficial to everyone”insisted the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, in La Tribune Sundayotherwise pointing out “industrial consequences” potentially “devastating and irreversible” in Europe. In response, the head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, said he hoped the French president would encourage a “healthy development of relations between China and the EU”.

Like the situation with France, Emmanuel Macron will also invite Beijing to invest more massively in Europe. “After thirty years of globalization which have largely enabled China to grow and innovate (…), the Chinese today have particularly advanced technologies which can be shared with their trusted partners, particularly Europeans”argues the Elysée.