Macron Engages in Ping Pong Diplomacy, Whilst Xi Recounts Timeless Wisdom of Dujiangyan

From 3 to 5 December 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron undertook a state visit to China. It is his fourth official visit to the Middle Kingdom since he took office as President in 2017. In line with the strong and strategic ties between France and China, it has been agreed to have one top-level meeting each year, with the leaders alternating visits to each other’s country.

Therefore, the well-oiled mechanism produced a program that now follows a familiar pattern. After formal meetings with Xi in Beijing, Macron attended the France-China Business Forum. Then, Macron went to Chengdu and interacted with students at the University of Sichuan. The reason Chengdu is on the itinerary is motivated by the so-called Panda Diplomacy and cooperation in the field of aerospace, which is a specialty of Sichuan.

A signing ceremony took place to formalize the accords between the two countries, and the two leaders also delivered speeches highlighting the strong and strategic bilateral relationship. On that occasion, a dozen accords were signed covering nuclear energy, agricultural food systems, environmental protection, and climate change, amongst others.

Chengdu is home to a French consulate and several French firms, including Carrefour, Decathlon, Engie, Safran, Saint Gobin, Stellantis, and Veolia, to name a few. Xi and his spouse accompanied Macron and his spouse on a tour of the Dujiangyan Dam, which is hailed as a timeless example of wisdom in managing water resources that transformed Sichuan into ‘The Land of Abundance.’

In 2026, as Xi is set to visit France and France is also chairing the #G7, Macron is considering inviting the world’s 2nd economy to the G7 Summit’s (#G7Summit2026) table. Indeed, Macron reiterated his belief in an ‘effective multilateralism’ in tackling global challenges.