French and EU leaders visit China to discuss trade and the Russia-Ukraine war

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing with a large delegation including about 60 prominent business leaders on April 5, 2023, to start his first state visit to China since 2019. European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen joined Macron on the trip, during which they are expected to try and expand commercial engagement with China and push Beijing to play a greater role in ending the Ukraine war. On her way to China, von der Leyen said Beijing’s actions related to the conflict may be a “determining factor for EU-China relations going forward”.