On his first visit to Europe in five years, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, appears intent on seizing opportunities to loosen the continent’s bonds with the United States and forge a world freed of American dominance.

China’s president arrives as EU anti-subsidy investigations and tensions over espionage, Ukraine and Taiwan continue

Ukraine, trade and investment are expected to dominate Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s first trip to Europe in five years, as the Asian giant rebuilds its foreign relations after a prolonged absence during the Covid-19 pandemic.

France is Chinese president’s first stop on Europe trip, and Beijing is pinning its hopes on Paris to push Brussels to adopt more ‘positive and pragmatic’ approach to China-EU ties.

Xi Jinping heads to Europe on Sunday to defend China’s “no limits” alliance with Russia, first to key Ukraine backer France, then to Serbia and Hungary, which have close ties to the Kremlin.The world’s second-biggest economy is seeking to deepen political and economic ties in Europe to counterbalance difficult relations with rival Washington.