Macron meets Xi; US-China "stability"; PRC rejects Takaichi’s reiteration of 1972 statement

Summary of today’s top items:

1. Xi meets Macron - Xi met French President Macron in Beijing. Macron also had meetings with Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, and now has traveled on to Chengdu, for pandas and more informal time with Xi. Among the highlights from the Xinhua readout of the Xi-Macron meeting today:

China and France should seize opportunities and expand the scope of cooperation, consolidating cooperation in traditional fields such as aviation, aerospace and nuclear energy, while tapping into the potential for cooperation in areas including the green economy, digital economy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence and new energy, Xi said…

Xi stressed that the world today is far from tranquil, with complex, intractable hotspot issues flaring up in many places. As founding members of the United Nations and permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and France should practice true multilateralism, and uphold the UN-centered international system and the international order un…