Macron seeks to charm Xi into trade concessions in Pyrenees jaunt

7/5/2024 19:03

        French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Pyrenees mountains on Tuesday, for the second day of a trip during which Xi showed little sign of being ready to offer major concessions on trade or foreign policy.
        
        Macron, who will greet Xi at the Tarbes-Lourdes Pyrenees airport at around 11:40 a.m. (0940 GMT), will take him to have lunch in the mountains dear to him as the birthplace of his maternal grandmother.
        
        Advisers to the French president described this as breaking with protocol for a chance for one-on-one direct chats with Xi, without scores of aide on either side.
        
        One of Macron's main objectives for the visit is trying to convince Xi to reduce the trade imbalance between the two regions, with better access for European firms in China and less subsidies for Chinese exporters.