France’s Emmanuel Macron asks Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Juncker to join meeting with Xi Jinping in Paris
- Surprise move comes as the European Union’s new, more assertive China policy is being debated in Brussels amid pressure from Paris and Berlin
- French leader plans to explain Europe’s new strategy on China, with focus on trade and the environment
French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Germany and the European Union to join a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping when he visits Paris next week.
In the surprise move, Macron asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to take part in the meeting with Xi on Tuesday, apparently to step up pressure on China during the European charm offensive.
Xi is in Italy on the first stop of a six-day trip to Europe, to be followed by Monaco and France.
Pressure from France and Germany has played a big role in shaping the EU’s new, more assertive, China policy that is being debated in Brussels, analysts say.
During the meeting with Xi, Macron plans to explain Europe’s strategy towards China as the EU moves forward with new policies on Beijing, according to a statement from the French president’s office. The meeting with Xi would focus on trade and the environment, it said.
