At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a state visit to China through Friday. It is Macron's fourth state visit to China and a reciprocal visit to Xi's historic state visit to France last year that marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations. France was the first major Western country to establish ambassador-level relations with the People's Republic of China. During the visit this week, Xi is scheduled to hold talks with Macron to jointly guide the development of China-France relations under the new circumstances. The two presidents will also have in-depth exchanges of views on major international and regional hotspot issues. Macron is accompanied by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, other senior officials and a delegation of business representatives. His visit to China, anticipated to hold profound significance for bilateral relationship, has garnered considerable attention from the international community. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, exchanges at all levels have grown closer, practical cooperation has yielded fruitful outcomes, and coordination on multilateral affairs has remained strong. Macron's reciprocal visit underscores the great importance France places on the development of bilateral ties, with both sides looking forward to further deepening practical cooperation during his trip. Macron's China trip came six days after a phone conversation between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, at the latter's request. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, expressed the hope that France would encourage the European Union (EU) to pursue a positive and rational policy toward China. Bonne said that France upholds the tradition of an independent foreign policy, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and understands China's legitimate position on the Taiwan question. Next year, France is set to host the Group of Seven (G7) summit, and China is scheduled to chair the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. Against such a backdrop, how the two sides can step up coordination on global governance and work together on shared challenges is expected to be a key focus of Macron's visit to China. SHOTLIST: Beijing, China - Dec 3, 2025 1. Plane with French President Emmanuel Macron aboard taxiing; 2. Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron, walking down gangway; 3. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi greeting Macron, Brigitte with handshakes; Macron shaking hands with interpreter; Macron, Brigitte receiving bouquets from children. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]