Macron Pressures China’s Xi on Ukraine, and Unfair Global Trade

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, initiating a significant dialogue that focused on urging China to step up efforts toward peace and stability in Ukraine and address the massive economic rebalancing required in global trade relations.

Macron, who was accompanied by a large business delegation, framed the talks around a crucial “three-fold agenda” emphasizing geopolitical stability, economic fairness, and environmental sustainability, stressing that dialogue between the two major powers is “vital” as the EU seeks Beijing’s help to end the war.

The core of the discussion addressed the ballooning trade imbalance, with Macron calling for a fairer, stronger set of international rules over “survival of the fittest,” noting the EU’s goods trade deficit with China has grown by nearly 60% since 2019.

However, analysts suggest Xi is leveraging the talks to ease EU trade frictions over heavily subsidized Chinese electric vehicles, potentially using major commercial deals, such as a large Airbus order and duties on French cognac, as points of pressure.

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Despite the political constraints, including recent Chinese assurances of support to Russia, the leaders signed 12 cooperation agreements covering bilateral investment, nuclear energy, and aerospace, with Xi granting Macron a rare honor by agreeing to accompany him outside of Beijing, underscoring the strategic importance of the China-France partnership amid rising US tariffs and geopolitical tensions.