Xi and Macron find common ground in Paris despite trade tensions

PARIS -- Beijing has agreed it will not impose tit-for-tat tariffs on French brandy, despite numerous probes by the European Union into Chinese industries, after President Xi Jinping met with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the first day of his state visit to Paris.

China and France also are signing deals in some sectors, such as electric vehicle batteries, and called for cooperation in others like cosmetics, winemaking and hydrogen production. Xi's first visit to Europe in five years comes amid fraught EU-China relations tied to cheap Chinese exports, Beijing's refusal to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and Chinese espionage on the continent.