President Xi Jinping of China is set to embark on a rare visit to Europe this week, starting with France. During his state visit on Monday and Tuesday, he will be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, and the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will also be in attendance. Despite claims of neutrality by China in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, its ties with Moscow have become stronger.
According to Elina Sinkkonen, a senior researcher at an institute specializing in foreign policy, significant changes in relations during Xi’s visit are unlikely. In addition to concerns over China’s relationship with Russia, issues such as European countries seeking to reduce their dependence on China, Chinese electric cars flooding the EU market, and suspicions of Chinese espionage have further strained EU-China relations.
Following France, Xi’s trip will continue to Serbia and Hungary later in the week. Unlike France, these countries have maintained positive attitudes towards both China and Russia. It has been two years since Xi last visited Europe outside of Russia before the pandemic.
