China’s president arrives in Europe to reinvigorate ties at a time of global tensions

PARIS — Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked disconnected a three-country trip to Europe on Sunday pinch nan continent divided complete really to woody pinch Beijing’s increasing powerfulness and nan U.S.-China rivalry.

European carmakers are losing crushed to subsidized Chinese electrical vehicles. Diplomats fret about alleged Chinese spies in European capitals. And China’s continued defense waste and acquisition pinch Russia worries anyone successful Europe who supports war-ravaged Ukraine and fears that nan Russian service won’t extremity there.

But Europe and China person hefty economical ties — EU-China waste and acquisition is estimated astatine 2.3 cardinal euros per time — and Xi appears wished to rebuild and deepen relations pinch European leaders aft a prolonged absence prompted by nan COVID-19 pandemic.

Xi started Sunday successful France, whose president wants Europe to person more economic and strategical independence from different world powers. Then nan Chinese president heads to Serbia and Hungary, some seen arsenic China-friendly and adjacent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and recipients of important Chinese investment.

Xi’s travel will beryllium intimately watched successful Washington for signs of diminishing European support for its cardinal overseas argumentation goals. At nan aforesaid time, there’s expanding uncertainty successful Europe astir early U.S. support for trans-Atlantic allies.

Xi was greeted astatine Paris’ Orly Airport by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal — and by protests by groups demanding that France unit China to respect Tibetan and Uyghur number rights. Activists seeking a free Tibet attempted to unfurl a banner Saturday beneath nan Arc de Triomphe successful Paris, and protested successful nan French superior astir nan aforesaid clip arsenic Xi’s level landed.

After arriving, Xi said he hoped nan sojourn would bring "strategic convergence" betwixt China and France, and that further processing their relations would lend to ‘’stability and affirmative power successful an turbulent world,’’ according to a matter provided to reporters astatine nan airport.

On Monday French President Emmanuel Macron will dainty nan Chinese leader to general honors of a afloat authorities visit. They will besides meet pinch European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is expected to subordinate Macron successful pushing for fairer waste and acquisition policies and for China to usage its leverage pinch Russia to push it toward ending nan warfare successful Ukraine.

The EU launched an investigation past autumn into Chinese subsidies and could enforce tariffs connected electrical vehicles exported from China.

China claims neutrality successful nan Ukraine conflict but has refused to telephone nan full-blown Russian battle connected its neighbour an invasion, and has been accused of bolstering Russia’s capacity to nutrient weapons.