France’s Emmanuel Macron kicks off China visit with deal to protect wine and cheese from counterfeiting

French president arrived in Shanghai late on Monday, attending China International Import Expo ahead of trip to capital on Wednesday

Visit is timed to ease global trade tensions, with EU asking China to further open markets, while tariff war between Washington and Beijing continues

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French President Emmanuel Macron addresses French and German businessmen during a meeting at a hotel before the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Monday. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:52am, 5 Nov 2019Updated: 6:43am, 5 Nov 2019

With major economies locked in disputes over trade, France’s president started a visit to China by announcing that the EU had struck a deal with the country to better protect agricultural products like wine and cheese from counterfeiting.

Emmanuel Macron’s visit is timed to ease some of the tensions that are stifling global commerce, with the European Union asking China to open its markets further and the US and China in a bitter fight over tariffs.

Macron arrived late on Monday in Shanghai, where he visited a sprawling import fair before he is expected to travel to Beijing for a state visit on Wednesday.

Speaking at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, Macron said that the EU and China had reached an agreement for the mutual protection of food and alcohol products, to be formally signed on Wednesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre) and his wife, Peng Liyuan, pose for photos with foreign leaders and their spouses, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, before a banquet in Shanghai on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

“It’s a step forward in this relationship and it’s very important,” Macron said, alongside Phil Hogan, the EU agriculture commissioner.