Chinas President Xi Jinping (L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron attend the official welcoming ceremony in Beijing on April 6, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a three-country trip to Europe on Sunday with the continent divided over how to deal with Beijing's growing power and the U.S.-China rivalry. Xi starts Sunday in France, whose president wants Europe to have more economic and strategic independence from other world powers. Then the Chinese president heads to Serbia and Hungary, both seen as China-friendly and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and recipients of substantial Chinese investment. On Monday French President Emmanuel Macron will treat the Chinese leader to formal honors of a full state visit.

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Persons: Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, China's, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Gabriel Attal –, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: U.S ., EU, Paris, Airport, French, Monday, European Locations: Beijing, Europe, U.S, China, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, France, Serbia, Hungary, Washington, Tibet, Paris