French President Emmanuel Macron on the steps of the presidential palace in Paris, December 1, 2025. CYRIL BITTON/DIVERGENCE FOR LE MONDE
It is a significant gesture, but one that guarantees no tangible outcomes. Xi Jinping will not merely welcome Emmanuel Macron in the highly ceremonial setting of the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese leader will also accompany his French counterpart to a provincial city during Macron's state visit to China from December 3 to 5. After Shanghai in 2019 and Guangzhou in 2023, they will visit Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, for a somewhat less formal exchange.
The courtesies will not prevent the parties from addressing the growing number of disputes, where positions are often irreconcilable. Ukraine is the clearest example, as US President Donald Trump seeks to hasten a peace agreement, even if it means aligning with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Nearly four years after the Russian invasion, Beijing has never wavered in its diplomatic and industrial support for the Russian war effort.
China continues to supply drone parts that give Moscow an advantage on the battlefield. The Financial Times revealed on Saturday, November 29, that the owner of a Chinese drone component manufacturer had acquired a direct stake in the Russian import company Rustakt, which produces the VT-40, now a key attack drone on the front line.
