Macron Hopes to Persuade Xi for Trade Concessions During Pyrenees Visit

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Pyrenees mountains on Tuesday, for the second day of a trip during which Xi showed little sign of being ready to offer major concessions on trade or foreign policy.

Macron greeted Xi at the Tarbes-Lourdes Pyrenees airport at around 11:40 a.m. (0940 GMT) and took him to have lunch in the mountains, which hold sentimental value for Macron as the birthplace of his maternal grandmother. Breaking with protocol, Macron arranged for one-on-one direct chats with Xi, without scores of aides on either side.

One of Macron’s main objectives for the visit was to convince Xi to reduce the trade imbalance between the two regions, advocating for better access for European firms in China and fewer subsidies for Chinese exporters.

Macron has a history of trying to establish personal relationships with his counterparts, even those he strongly disagrees with. Xi’s visit to the Pyrenees mirrors past events like U.S. President Donald Trump joining Macron in 2017 to watch the Bastille day parade.

While French and Chinese companies signed agreements on energy, finance, and transport during Xi’s visit, most were agreements to cooperate or renew commitments to work together, with no significant deals made. The hope for an Airbus plane order coinciding with Xi’s visit was also unmet, with negotiations ongoing.

However, French cognac makers saw a boost as Xi expressed an “open attitude” towards resolving trade disputes. A French diplomatic source revealed that China would not impose taxes or customs duties on French cognac pending an investigation. Xi did not comment on this during his public statements on Monday.