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May 03, 2024
Focus This Week
A community space to discuss the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.

Dear Focus Reader,

Chinese President Xi Jinping is heading to Europe for the first time in five years (other than Russia). Xi's itinerary includes a stop in Paris, marking 60 years of French-Chinese diplomatic relations, followed by trips to Serbia and Hungary, including a visit to Belgrade on the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy there.

While in Paris, Xi will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for trilateral talks on China's broader relations with the EU. The meeting comes a month before Macron hosts U.S. President Biden for a similar visit.

It's anticipated that tariffs and subsidies will be a hot topic of conversation, as the EU has initiated a probe into state subsidies for made-in-China electric vehicles, and China has started a similar probe into the French cognac market.

Additionally, the leaders will likely bring up their concerns of China's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. Similar to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with Xi last week, Macron said he will "share concerns about the activities of certain Chinese companies despite sanctions taken against Russia." However, he has also indicated that France would not necessarily always align with the U.S. in their China policy.

The meeting follows both the U.S. and the EU claims from earlier this month that there's been a surge of components being supplied from China to Russia that could be used to make weapons in their efforts against Ukraine, which China has denied.

Learn more on foreign policy by staying up to date with our latest Focus content, including topics on the U.S. elections, China's economy, and AI cooperation.

Focus Insights
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"The trilateral will have Manila lean heavily on the U.S. and Japan in everything from secured communications, critical minerals processing, renewable energy, and semiconductor investments. Failure to deliver can undermine America's appeal to its loyal ally and the broader region. If played right, the Philippines can be a showcase for resilience and an alternative to Chinese-dependent supply chains. However, a misjudgment can setback the country's development and competitiveness."
Lucio Blanco Pitlo III
Research Fellow, Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation

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Learn more in "Co-Production of Weapons Means More Instability," by Cui Lei, a Research Fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

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Question of the Week:

In our Focus Insights section, we shared an article by An Gang, Adjunct Fellow at Tsinghua University's CISS, discussing the potential implications of a Trump comeback and the broader ramifications for U.S.-China relations.


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How do you think a potential change in U.S. leadership, whether it be a Trump comeback or a continuation of the Biden administration, could affect relations between the United States and China?


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About Focus This Week

Prepared by China-US Focus editorial teams in Hong Kong and New York, this weekly newsletter offers you snap shots of latest trends and developments emerging from China and the U.S. every week. It is a community space to exchange thoughts and ideas about the China-U.S. relationship and beyond.

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