Xi Jinping arrived in Europe on Sunday on a mission to ease escalating tensions that threaten to ignite a trade war between China and the EU.
On his first trip to the region since 2019, Xi will face tough talks in France on trade and Ukraine before enjoying a warmer welcome in Serbia and Hungary, where soaring Chinese investment underlines both the benefits of close ties with Beijing and EU divisions on international policy.
“China is determined not to let its relationship with Europe slide further towards the direction of its ties with the US,” said Yu Jie, an analyst at UK think-tank Chatham House. “There will be a renewed charm…
