France, Dec. 4 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has appealed to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine and to ease Europe's trade imbalances, as the two leaders met in Beijing's Great Hall on Thursday.

For Macron - making his fourth visit to China since taking office - the three-day trip offers a chance to bolster support for a ceasefire in Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War, while also nudging Beijing towards more investment in France.

Paris's trade deficit with the world's second-largest economy widened to €46 billion in 2024, a gap the French leader is keen to narrow.

Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan rolled out the red-carpet for Macron and his wife Brigitte, greeting ...