TOURMALET PASS, France (AP) — France’s president is hosting China’s leader at a remote mountain pass in the Pyrenees on Tuesday for private meetings after a high-stakes state visit in Paris dominated by trade disputes and Russia’s war in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron made a point of inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to the Tourmalet Pass near the Spanish border, where Macron spent time as a child visiting his grandmother. It is meant to be a reciprocal gesture after Xi took Macron last year to the residence of the governor of Guangdong province, where the Chinese president’s father once lived. Snow coated nearby slopes after new snowfall overnight, and security was tightened around the area. The winding roads up to the pass were blocked by authorities Tuesday for dozens of kilometers (miles). The mountain meetings come after a grandiose state visit by Xi on Monday that included a ceremonial welcome at the monument housing Napoleon’s tomb and a state dinner at the Elysee Palace with celebrities and magnates. Xi is on a trip to Europe aimed at reinvigorating relations at a time of global tensions. He heads next to Serbia and Hungary. |
A look at recent events involving King Charles, Kate Middleton's healthMathew Barzal scores in 2nd OT as Islanders beat Hurricanes 3Miserable runs continue for Juventus and injuryLauren Goodger cuts a stylish figure as she joins her TOWIE coKyle Busch win the pole for NASCAR Cup race at Dover Motor SpeedwayHarvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York City jailsLions strengthen their pass defense by drafting two cornerbacksWorld's largest Peppa Pig outdoor theme park to open in ShanghaiA strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake shakes Indonesia's Java Island, felt in JakartaMiserable runs continue for Juventus and injury