Washington (AFP) - France's President Emmanuel Macron underlined US-French cooperation with a tour of NASA headquarters Wednesday, but tough talks on trade and China are expected when he meets Joe Biden for the main part of a rare state visit.
The French leader, who arrived late Tuesday with his wife Brigitte, joined Vice President Kamala Harris at the NASA facility in Washington to discuss cooperation in space.
"France is a vital ally to the United States and this visit demonstrates the strength of our partnership, our friendship..., one that is based on shared democratic principles and values," Harris told Macron.
Macron will stay in the high-tech sphere later when he attends a meeting on civilian nuclear energy.
The busy schedule, which also includes a working lunch to discuss biodiversity and clean energy, and a visit to the historic Arlington National Cemetery, illustrates the ambitions set for the trip -- the first formal state visit by a foreign leader to Washington since Biden took office nearly two years ago.
The core of the visit will be on Thursday, including a White House military honor guard, Oval Office talks with Biden, a joint press conference and a banquet where Grammy-award-winning American musician Jon Batiste will perform.
Compared to Macron's awkward experience as the guest of Donald Trump in 2018, this trip will be a carefully choreographed display of transatlantic friendship.
EU-US trade tensions
Tensions, however, are rising over trade as Europeans nervously watch the rollout of Biden's signature green industry policy -- the Inflation Reduction Act.
The IRA is set to pump billions of dollars into climate-friendly technologies, with strong backing for American-made products.A similar effort is being put into microchip manufacturing.
Europeans fear an unfair US advantage in the sectors just as they are reeling from the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine and Western attempts to end reliance on Russian energy supplies.
Talk in Europe is now increasingly on whether the bloc should respond with its own subsidies and championing of homegrown products, effectively starting a trade war.
Another gripe in Europe is the high cost of US liquid natural gas exports -- which have surged to help compensate for canceled Russian deliveries.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the US side wants to defuse tensions, promising "transparent, forthright" discussions.
"We certainly will stay open to listening" to the EU concerns, he said.
Strategizing on China, Ukraine
The breadth of Macron's entourage -- including the foreign, defense and finance ministers, as well as business leaders and astronauts -- illustrates the importance Paris has put on the visit.
At the White House, however, a senior official said the main goal is to nurture the "personal relationship, the alliance relationship" with France -- and between Biden and Macron.
That more modest-sounding goal will include improving coordination on helping Ukraine to repel Russia and the even more vexing question of how to manage the rise of superpower China.
"We are not allies on the same page," one adviser to Macron told AFP, forecasting "challenging" talks with Biden.
Despite his strong support for Kyiv, Macron's insistence on continuing to maintain dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin has irked American diplomats.
The China question -- with Washington pursuing a more hawkish tone and EU powers trying to find a middle ground -- is unlikely to see much progress.
"Europe has since 2018 its own, unique strategy for relations with China," tweeted French embassy spokesman Pascal Confavreux in Washington.
Kirby said China will be "very high on the agenda" this week but stressed that both countries share a broad approach.
"We believe that not only France, but every other member of the G7 -- frankly, our NATO allies too -- see the threats and challenges posed by China in the same way."
