Macron to visit Beijing and Sichuan, December 3–5
French president’s trip comes as Europe debates tougher stance on China
Macron expected to press for greater access to Chinese tech and markets
French President Emmanuel Macron is set for his fourth state visit to China this week, as Europe grapples with balancing economic and security concerns from Beijing against reliance on the world’s second-largest economy amid global trade turbulence.
Macron has previously sought to project a strong European front in dealings with China, while avoiding moves that might antagonize Beijing, whose growing assertiveness is testing trade, security, and diplomatic ties, analysts say.
“He must make clear to China's leadership that Europe will respond to growing economic and security threats from Beijing, while preventing an escalation of tensions that leads to a full-blown trade war and diplomatic breakdown,” Noah Barkin, a China analyst with Rhodium Group, told Reuters.
“This is not an easy message to deliver,” he added.
Chinese exports hammering European industry
Macron will begin his trip with a visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City on Wednesday, followed by meetings with President Xi Jinping on Thursday in the capital and Friday in Chengdu, southwestern Sichuan province.
The visit follows a tense trip by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in July, when she described EU-China relations as being at an “inflection point.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are scheduled to visit China early next year.
Trade tensions between China and Europe have intensified as cheap Chinese exports—particularly in steel, after being excluded from the U.S. market—have disrupted European industries. European officials are also concerned over China’s technological edge in electric vehicles (EVs) and dominance in rare earth processing, which could jeopardize supplies for key industries.
With U.S. tariffs squeezing global trade, Beijing has positioned itself as a partner for European business, attempting to allay concerns over its support for Russia and state-subsidized industrial practices.
Ahead of Macron’s visit, French advisers indicated he would advocate for rebalancing trade dynamics, pushing China to boost domestic consumption and allow Europe greater access to Chinese technology.
The EU is also expected to introduce a new economic security doctrine, signaling a more assertive use of trade instruments toward China.
France, whose carmakers have limited sales in China but face domestic pressure to succeed in the EV transition, supported the European Commission’s push to raise tariffs on Chinese electric car imports. The country was also embroiled in a year-long dispute over a Chinese investigation into brandy imports, widely viewed as retaliation for the EV tariff stance, before Beijing offered a temporary reprieve.
Despite opening a new Airbus assembly line in China, industry sources suggest Macron is unlikely to secure a long-anticipated order of up to 500 jets during this visit—contracts that could give Beijing leverage over Washington, which is seeking new Boeing commitments.
Macron must avoid past missteps
Macron is also expected to avoid the missteps of his 2023 trip, when comments on Taiwan during his return flight sparked a backlash in the United States.
“Macron cannot allow himself to go rogue as in 2023,” Barkin said, noting that his earlier remarks, which appeared to avoid choosing between China and the U.S., “painted a misleading picture about where French policy towards China really was.”
French advisers indicate Macron will advocate maintaining the status quo on Taiwan and urge China not to escalate tensions, following recent Japanese comments on the island that triggered a diplomatic spat with Beijing.
“I expect him to be more disciplined this time,” Barkin said. “There is much more at stake for France and for Europe.” Photo by Jacques Paquier, Wikimedia commons.
