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Macron hosts Xi in French mountains to talk over Ukraine, trade issues

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) is welcomed by France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) upon his arrival at Tarbes' airport. — AFP
Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) is welcomed by France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) upon his arrival at Tarbes' airport. — AFP
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TARBES: French President Emmanuel Macron was on Tuesday hosting Chinese leader Xi Jinping at one of his beloved childhood haunts in the Pyrenees mountains, pressing a message to Beijing not to support Russia's war against Ukraine and to accept fairer trade.


The first day of Xi's state visit to France, his first to Europe since 2019, saw respectful but sometimes robust exchanges between the two men during a succession of talks on Monday.


Macron, joined initially by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urged Xi not to allow the export of any technology that could be used by Russia in its attack of Ukraine and asked Beijing to do all it could to end the war.


Xi, for his part, warned the West not to "smear" China over the conflict and also hit back at accusations that Chinese overcapacity was causing global trade imbalances.


The peaceful mountain village of Bagnere-de-Bigorre and nearby La Mongie -- as well as lunch accompanied by their wives, Peng Liyuan and Brigitte Macron -- will allow Xi and Macron to explore these issues in relative privacy.


While born and brought up in the north of France, the young "Manu" spent numerous winter and summer holidays with his late maternal grandparents in the area just below the Col du Tourmalet, over 2,000 metres above sea level and a legendary climb in the Tour de France.


Macron personally welcomed Xi when he arrived at Tarbes airport in southwest France and the leaders headed to a mountain restaurant to dine on local products.


After a bilateral meeting with Xi, Macron welcomed China's "commitments" not to supply arms to Russia, while also expressing concern over possible deliveries of dual-use technology.


He thanked Xi for backing his idea of a truce in all conflicts including Ukraine during the Paris Olympics this summer and pointedly added that France was not seeking "regime change" in Russia.


Xi, who is due to host Russian President Vladimir Putin in China later this month, warned against using the Ukraine crisis "to cast blame, smear a third country and incite a new Cold War".


Both Macron and von der Leyen made trade a priority in the talks, underscoring that Europe must defend its "strategic interests" in its economic relations with China.


Macron thanked Xi for not imposing "provisional" customs duties on French cognac amid an ongoing anti-dumping investigation.


The visit has also coincided with intensified concerns about alleged hacking attacks against lawmakers and officials in European countries including France, Germany and the UK. — AFP


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