CHINESE President Xi Jinping arrived in the French capital of Paris to mark the start of his historic visit to Europe.
This is the first time the Chinese leader stepped on European soil since the COVID-19 pandemic halted global travel and locked international borders.
The two-day state visit to France will focus on trade disputes and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Xi hailed the historic visit as a model of peaceful coexistence for the international community and a turning point for the Europe-China relations.
His trip to the region comes at a challenging period marked by political differences between the West and the world’s second-largest economy, where China chose to open up and ease tensions.
The Chinese President will visit France, Serbia, and Hungary between May 5 and 10.
