
Taipei, Taiwan – When French President Emmanuel Macron stood shoulder to shoulder with his Chinese President Xi Jinping for a photo during a state visit to Beijing, the two leaders seemed at ease.
They smiled and looked friendly. Macron appeared to have his hand on Xi’s back. Also in the picture – and standing slightly apart from the two men – was Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission who was visiting China with Macron.