Von der Leyen, Macron to meet in Paris ahead of China trip

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron for a working lunch on Monday, said the commission, as the two prepare for a joint trip to China later in the week.

Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer said in a tweet that the two leaders will discuss issues including Russia’s war on Ukraine, the energy sector and preparations for their trips to China, including their joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ahead of her visit to China this week with Macron, von der Leyen delivered a sober assessment of Chinese policies, saying China was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad, replacing an era of reform and opening with one of security and control, where companies in China were required to assist state intelligence-gathering operations.

(This story has been corrected to change the day of the week to Monday from Tuesday in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by GV De Clercq; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)