Macron heads to China as Europe walks tightrope between rivalry and reliance

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to China this week for his fourth state visit, as Europe seeks to balance economic and security threats from Beijing with reliance on the world's second-largest economy during a time of global trade turmoil.



Macron in the past has sought to project a robust European front in dealing with China, while being careful not to antagonise Beijing, whose growing assertiveness is testing trade, security and diplomatic ties, analysts say.



"He must make clear to China's leadership that Europe will respond to growing economic and security threats from Beijing, while preventing an escalation of tensions that leads to a full-blown trade war and diplomatic breakdown," Noah Barkin, a China analyst with Rhodium Group, told Reuters.



"This is not an easy message to deliver," he said.



Macron, who will start his trip with a visit to Beijing's Forbidden City on Wednesday, will meet President Xi Jinping on Thursday in the capital and again on Friday during a trip to Chengdu, in southwestern Sichuan province.



His visit comes after a tense trip by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in July, when she said ties between the EU and China were at an "inflection point."