Chinese President Xi Jinping is pulling out all the stops for French President Emmanuel Macron as he tries to create some distance between Europe and the U.S. in their approaches toward Beijing.
During the three-day visit, which kicks off Wednesday, Macron will have extensive face time with Xi. After formal meetings in Beijing on Thursday, which will also include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Macron and Xi will head to the southern city of Guangzhou.
The excursion to meet a world leader at a second location outside the capital is rare for Xi, who normally reserves such honors for close friends like Russian President Vladimir Putin: In 2018, they took a high-speed train to Tianjin, east of Beijing, and watched a hockey match together.