what is the program of the Chinese president, received by Emmanuel Macron?

Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron will travel to the Hautes-Pyrénées on Tuesday May 7 at the Col du Tourmalet, a highly symbolic location for the Tour de France.

This is his third state visit to France since coming to power in March 2013. On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Paris, Xi Jinping is expected on French soil for a state visit on Monday May 6 and Tuesday May 7, first stage of a European tour which will also take him to Serbia and Hungary.

This visit will be broken down into two parts. The first day will be devoted to diplomatic discussions and official ceremonies, while Tuesday will be more intimate and personal, according to the Elysée.

Working meetings and a state dinner at the Elysée

The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, are due to land on Sunday evening in Paris. On Monday, the Chinese presidential couple will be welcomed at the end of the morning by Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron at the Elysée Palace, where a trilateral meeting is planned in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Shortly before 3 p.m., the two heads of state will go to the Hôtel national des Invalides for an official ceremony with national anthems and review of the troops.

The two presidents will then return to the Elysée for a face-to-face meeting and a meeting with their delegations. “The discussions will focus on international crises, first and foremost the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, trade issues”, “as well as our common actions in the face of global issues, in particular the climate emergency, protection of biodiversity and the financial situation of the most vulnerable countries”, said the Elysée.

In 2023, during a trip to China, Emmanuel Macron called on Xi Jinping to “bring Russia to its senses” towards Ukraine “and bring everyone back to the negotiating table”. A year later, Paris still wishes to encourage Beijing to contribute to a “resolution” of the conflict in Ukraine.

Discussions will also focus on “commercial matters”, in particular access for French companies to the Chinese market. This first day will end with a state dinner in honor of the Chinese presidential couple at the Elysée, in the presence of several Chinese artists.

A stopover planned at the Col du Tourmalet

The Elysée evokes “a personal sequence” for the second day of this state visit. Tuesday May 7, the two presidential couples will go to the Hautes-Pyrénées, to the Col du Tourmalet, legendary climb of the Tour de France, where Emmanuel Macron wants to share a more intimate moment with his counterpart. The goal is to “create a framework for a frank and friendly exchange between the two leaders and their wives”specifies the Elysée.

Emmanuel Macron actually went there a lot in his childhood to visit his maternal grandmother, Germaine Noguès, who died in 2013, and who lived in Bagnères-de-Bigorre.

Last year, Xi Jinping received his counterpart in Guangzhou for a tea ceremony at the residence of the governor of Guangdong province. His father, Xi Zhongxun, had lived there when he held this position from 1978 to 1981.