Macron Concludes China Trip with Panda Diplomacy and Signs Trade Deal

French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up his fourth state visit to China with a relaxed tone, visiting the ancient Dujiangyan Dam and engaging in panda diplomacy in Chengdu. The trip marked a departure from the tense discussions on Ukraine and trade in Beijing a day earlier, where Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on ending the war and correcting trade imbalances. Macron's visit to the 2,200-year-old Dujiangyan Dam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcased a more personal side of the French leader, who was moved by the gesture of being taken on a tour by Xi and his wife. The ancient irrigation system, which dates back to the third century BC, continues to provide water to the Sichuan Basin plain. In a sign of mutual trust and cooperation, Macron and Xi signed a letter of intent to increase reciprocal investments and create a fair trading environment between France and China. The move comes amidst rising international tensions and widening trade imbalances in favor of China. Macron's wife, Brigitte, meanwhile, visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where she met Yuan Meng, the first giant panda born in France in 2017. The giant panda has become an emblem of China's friendship with other nations through its 'panda diplomacy' program. The French president will also meet with table tennis brothers Alexis and Felix Lebrun, who are in China for the Mixed Team Table Tennis World Cup. Macron's visit to China has been seen as a tentative signal of cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the face of international tensions and the ongoing war in Ukraine.