Macron Joins Xi in Southwest China on Rare Leader-Level Visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping met French President Emmanuel Macron in Chengdu on Friday, marking an uncommon step in Chinese diplomacy as Xi personally accompanied a foreign leader outside Beijing.

The two visited the historic Dujiangyan dam, a 3rd-century irrigation system listed as a UNESCO heritage site. Macron earlier made headlines with an early morning jog around Jincheng Lake Park before the meeting.

The visit followed talks in Beijing on Thursday, where both sides signed 12 cooperation agreements covering areas such as nuclear energy, ageing-population research and panda conservation. No financial terms were disclosed. The discussions take place as Europe weighs concerns over trade dependencies, rare-earth restrictions and competitive pressure from Chinese electric vehicle and technology sectors.

• Macron joins Xi in Chengdu for a rare leader-level visit outside Beijing
• Talks focus on cooperation deals as Europe weighs trade and tech concerns
• Symbolic cultural diplomacy contrasts with stalled Airbus announcement

Expectations for a major aviation breakthrough did not materialise. A planned announcement of a purchase agreement for around 500 Airbus aircraft did not proceed. Analysts say China may be retaining the deal as negotiating leverage amid broader trade and aviation discussions involving the United States.

Emmanuel Macron’s trip, his fourth state visit to China, is seen as a signal of France’s intent to maintain strategic engagement while navigating trade frictions and global power rivalries. China’s decision to host the second leg of the visit in the southwestern city of Chengdu suggests an effort to frame the relationship as stable and long-term, beyond formal protocol in the capital.

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As global supply chains shift and geopolitical tensions persist, both governments presented the meetings as an effort to keep political dialogue open and trade channels functional. The symbolism around heritage, culture and personal diplomacy in Chengdu was viewed as an attempt to soften a backdrop of commercial competition and regulatory disputes.