Macron extends invitation to Chinese leader Xi to visit the French Pyrenees

In a stunning display of diplomacy and personal connection, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the picturesque Tourmalet Pass in the Pyrenees for a private meeting. The meeting came on the heels of Xi’s visit to Paris, where trade disputes and Russia’s war in Ukraine dominated discussions.

Macron, who spent time in the area as a child visiting his grandmother, chose the remote mountain pass near the Spanish border as a symbolic gesture of friendship. The winding roads leading up to the pass were blocked for kilometers as security was tightened for the visit.

Accompanied by their wives, Brigitte Macron and Peng Liyuan, the two leaders enjoyed a traditional folk dance and sampled local specialties at a mountain restaurant. Macron presented Xi with a yellow Tour de France jersey, a woollen blanket made in the Pyrenees, and a bottle of Armagnac.

Xi’s visit to Europe is part of an effort to strengthen relations amidst global tensions. Following his time in France, he is set to visit Serbia and Hungary. However, the visit was not without controversy, as authorities searched the European Parliament office of German far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah in Brussels. Krah’s assistant was arrested last month on suspicion of spying for China, casting a shadow over the high-profile visit.

The meeting at the Tourmalet Pass serves as a reminder of the power of personal connections in international relations, as Macron and Xi sought to bridge divides and foster understanding between their two nations.