Macron’s cognac — the only thing that went down smoothly with Xi politico.eu/article/emmanu…

Petit saut sur France Inter ce matin pour parler d’européennes et d’Emmanuel Macron, qui continue d’y croire, au point de faire halluciner certains dans son camp. Objectif : autour de 23% podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/his…

In Brussels playbook, Jakob Hanke Vela asks whether Macron's charm and von der Leyen's tough-talking will deliver as Xi visits Europe.... and well, the jury's still out politico.eu/newsletter/bru…

Did Moscow get the memo? Macron, Xi call for worldwide ‘Olympic truce’ during Paris Games politico.eu/article/macron…

The Macrons welcome Xi and his wife for the state dinner at the Elysee Palace.

Macron gave Xi Jinping bottles of expensive cognac during his visit to Paris, just as Beijing targeted European wine-based liquors (aka France's cognac exports) in a probe earlier this year.

You can't say Manu doesn't have a cheeky sense of humor.

Via Clea Caulcutt

Sometimes you turn round and this what you see (two leaders discussing architecture)

And this is Elysee press centre under a big plastic sheet, temperatures rising and reporters hiding from the sun with their laptops 🔥🔥😅

Xi Jinping arriving at the Elysee Palace for second leg of talks, this time just with President Macron. We hear that earlier today Xi gave assurances on no weapons exports to Russia & tighter controls on dual-use exports

Macron calls on China to offer 'fair rules for all' as Xi Jinping kicks off state visit to France, Ursula von der Leyen even more forceful, says Europe will not 'waver from making tough decisions' on trade spat politico.eu/article/emmanu…

Today, China's Xi Jinping and France's Emmanuel Macron will sit down for a state banquet at the Elysée Palace.

But don’t expect smiles and laughs. These two emperors are shaping up to fight.

🔗 trib.al/nplZlGH

Scholz has declined Macron's invitation to join him for a joint summit with Chinese President Xi and the EU's von der Leyen in Paris on Monday.

Instead, Scholz will travel to Lithuania and Latvia on Monday, a spokesperson said.

Elysée Palace now confirms Macron and Scholz to have 'private dinner' tonight, with topics in the news expected to dominate talks

Olaf Scholz à Paris: Le chancelier est venu avec sa femme, Britta Ernst, pour un court séjour.

Ce soir ils vont se rencontrer pour un dîner secret avec Emmanuel et Brigitte Macron dans un resto parisien. Sur le menu: Des discussions sur la Chine.
politico.eu/article/olaf-s…

LR réunionne en ce moment même pour finaliser sa liste aux européennes. Le Callennec, Morano, Hortefeux, Sander, Colin-Oesterlé… Les derniers pronos sont dans Playbook ce matin ⤵️ politico.eu/newsletter/pla… Anthony Lattier

Macron invited von der Leyen to meet Xi — but Scholz won't make it, so not a full repeat of the 2019 setting with Juncker and Merkel.

Clea Caulcutt

More cash, less screen time: Five policy takeaways from Emmanuel Macron’s Sorbonne speech 👇
trib.al/vW6z6oq

French president says “urgent” to react now to defend Europe’s economy and keep production at home. With current monetary, trade policies… “we won’t get there”