French President Emmanuel Macron received EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for lunch at the Elysée Palace on Monday to prepare for their joint trip to China. On Thursday, a trilateral meeting with state and party leader Xi Jinping is planned in Beijing. According to the Elysée, the main topics will be the Ukraine war and the EU's investment agreement with China. In the evening, von der Leyen and Macron will be received by Xi for a state banquet.

Michaela Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

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Macron has postponed his travel plans several times, most recently refraining from being received by Xi at the beginning of November shortly before German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The French president has long pursued the goal of not letting the Chinese leadership divide the EU. He was one of the sharp critics of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, as the New Silk Road is called internationally.

In March 2019, during his trip to Europe, Xi met not only host Macron at the Elysée Palace, but also German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then-EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. This was meant as a signal that Europe was united and spoke with one voice. During his trip to China in November 2019, Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek and EU Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan flew with Macron to Shanghai in the French presidential Airbus.

Scholz rebuffs Macron

Scholz has rebuffed Macron with his desire for a german-French solidarity in China policy. This makes it all the more important for the Elysée to make a joint appearance with the EU Commission President in the Chinese capital. "We do not come as disunited states, but with a European position," the Elysée said.

Criticism of the Chinese EU ambassador to von der Leyen's recent China speech was rejected. France's condition for the investment agreement is that Beijing lifts sanctions against EU parliamentarians and European institutions. The responsibility lies with the EU Commission.

Macron supports von der Leyen's approach of focusing on risk reduction instead of decoupling. The speech of the EU Commission President at an event of the China Institute Merics in Brussels was closely coordinated, according to information from the Elysée Palace. Unlike German companies, French companies have reduced their involvement in China.

Alstom, Auchan and Carrefour have gone out of their China business, and other companies are considering similar moves. In the Elysée Palace, it is stressed that Macron is pursuing "ambitious goals" in terms of market access and fair conditions of competition. That is why the President is accompanied by a business delegation. According to Elysée, the heads of the electricity company EDF, Alstom, Veolia and Airbus have agreed.

China should influence Russia

The delegation also includes filmmaker Jean-Jacques Annaud, who will present his film about the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral. In addition, Macron brings companies to China that are involved in the preparation of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The second stage of the state visit is the city of Guangzhou in the province of Guangdong in southern China. The president will speak to more than 1000,<> students at Sun Yat-sen University and seek exchange, according to the Elysée. In the evening, an informal dinner of Macron and Xi with partners is planned.

The talks with the Chinese leadership are seen in Paris as particularly important, as Beijing could influence Moscow. There is no "peace plan". Instead, the Elysée speaks of twelve points on which, for example, there is convergence on the use of nuclear weapons. Macron is trying to make room for more.

According to Philippe Le Corre, who researches China at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Macron anticipates the fact that in the event of a US-Chinese escalation, the EU would have to decide jointly on EU sanctions. "The question is whether Germany has learned the lessons of its energy dependence on Russia to define its China policy," Le Corre said.