Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris in early May, his first trip to Europe since the pandemic. Several officials in Paris and Brussels told POLITICO about it. The Chinese leader's visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between Paris and Beijing, as China seeks to repair frayed relations with Europe.
Officials told POLITICO that China is trying to persuade Europe to allow Russia to sit at the table for future peace talks, possibly in Switzerland, or Beijing will boycott such meetings. Commenting on China's special envoy Li Hui's European tour earlier this month, China's Foreign Ministry said Li pledged to "support all parties with equal participation in the peace conference."
