French President Emmanuel Macron has begun his multi-day state visit to China with a private, after-hours tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were granted access to the former Imperial Palace behind closed doors, the Élysée Palace said on Wednesday. Only a small number of state visitors receive such exclusive access to the complex, which was once strictly off-limits to ordinary citizens. Members of the press were not permitted to attend.
The French president, who last visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018, was among the first foreign guests to view the newly restored Qianlong Garden, reopened in late September.
Beijing has rolled out the red carpet for Macron at the start of his fourth visit to China. Ahead of his meetings, he wrote on X that discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping would focus on “peace and economic rebalancing, which the world so desperately needs.”
China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi intends to discuss Sino-French relations and major international issues with Macron, without providing further details. On Thursday, the French president is scheduled to meet Xi and other senior Chinese state and party leaders.
The Élysée Palace said France aims to encourage China to adopt a more balanced trade policy. European nations have frequently criticised China for competing unfairly with European products through state subsidies in sectors including electric vehicles, steel, and solar panels.
Macron is also expected to call on China to use its influence over Russia to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
On 5 December, Macron is scheduled to visit a dam in Chengdu, Sichuan province, before returning to France.
This visit marks Macron’s fourth trip to China and follows Xi’s tour of Europe last year, during which he visited France. Beijing regards France as China’s third most important trading partner in the European Union.
