Opinion: Macron and VDL’s Visits to China – Will the Rejection of Decoupling Lead to Restoration of Relations?

In early April, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited China as the first foreign leaders to do so following China's "Two Sessions" and instalment of a new government.

Compared to the visits to China of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November 2022 and European Council President Charles Michel in December 2022, Macron and von der Leyen's visit coincided with the one-year anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China's official proposal for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.