PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed China’s President Xi Jinping during a rare visit at the Elysee Palace on Monday, shaking hands with his Chinese counterpart as Xi arrived.

Xi praises French ties as Macron prepares to talk trade

Xi was in the region for the first time in five years, at a time of growing trade tensions, with the European Union investigating several Chinese industries including electric vehicle exports, while Beijing is probing mostly French-made imports of brandy.