French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe must resist eroding trade and diplomatic ties with China as he arrived for a state visit on Wednesday, seeking to refute any sense there was an "inescapable spiral" of tension between Beijing and the West.
Shortly after touching down ahead of EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who is joining him on the three-day trip, Macron said maintaining dialogue with China was key given its close relations with Russia, which is waging a war in Ukraine.
Macron, on his first trip to China since 2019, spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden before the visit about engaging Chinese President Xi Jinping to hasten the end of Ukraine war, although the United States has voiced scepticism about Beijing's peace plan.
"We hear increasingly loud voices expressing a strong concern about the future of relations between the West and China that in some form lead to the conclusion that there is an inescapable spiral of mounting tensions," Macron told reporters at the French embassy in Beijing.
There was also an impression that de-coupling from the Chinese economy was already underway and that the only remaining question was over pace and intensity, he added.
"I do not believe, in any case I do not want to believe, in this scenario."
The trip will mark von der Leyen's first visit to China since becoming European Commission president more than three years ago, and comes after she said the EU must "de-risk" ties with Beijing, including limiting Chinese access to sensitive technology and reducing reliance for key inputs.
Europe's relations with China have soured in recent years first due to a stalled investment pact in 2021 and then Beijing's refusal to condemn Russia over Ukraine.
For Macron, facing embarrassing pension protests at home, the trip also offers a chance to land some economic wins as he travels with a 50-strong business delegation, including Airbus, which is negotiating a big plane order, Alstom and nuclear giant EDF.
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