China's Xi visits Pyrenees mountains, in a personal gesture by France's Macron
TOURMALET PASS, France (AP) — France’s president is hosting China’s leader at a remote mountain pass in the Pyrenees on Tuesday for private meetings after a high-stakes state visit in Paris dominated by trade disputes and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron made a point of inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Tourmalet Pass near the Spanish border, where Macron spent time as a child visiting his grandmother. It is meant to be a reciprocal gesture after Xi took Macron last year to the residence of the governor of Guangdong province, where the Chinese president’s father once lived.
Snow coated nearby slopes after new snowfall overnight, and security was tightened around the area. The winding roads up to the pass were blocked by authorities Tuesday for dozens of kilometers (miles).
The mountain meetings come after a grandiose state visit by Xi on Monday that included a ceremonial welcome at the monument housing Napoleon’s tomb and a state dinner at the Elysee Palace with celebrities and magnates.
Xi is on a trip to Europe aimed at reinvigorating relations at a time of global tensions. He heads next to Serbia and Hungary.
Related articles
John Swinney expected to lead Scotland after being confirmed as Scottish National Party leader
LONDON (AP) — Scotland’s former deputy first minister, John Swinney, was confirmed Monday as head of2024-05-08Hong Kong jails Portuguese national for overseas social media posts — Radio Free Asia
A court in Hong Kong has handed a five-year jail term to a dual Portuguese national for "incitement2024-05-08Federal data does not show a soaring number of unauthorized migrants registering to vote
CLAIM: Social Security Administration data shows the number of voters registering without a photo ID2024-05-08Lawsuit seeks to force ban on menthol cigarettes after delays by Biden
WASHINGTON (AP) — Anti-smoking groups sued the U.S. government Tuesday over a long-awaited ban on me2024-05-08Larrañaga, Kruger, Dunphy and Nolan to be honored with Joe Lapchick Character Award
NEW YORK (AP) — Jim Larrañaga, Lon Kruger, Fran Dunphy and Dianne Nolan are this year’s recipients o2024-05-08Never mind the overcapacity, have some dim sum! — Radio Free Asia
China's state media appeared keen this week to portray U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as a rel2024-05-08
atest comment