Macron meets Benin President Talon in Cotonou

Can you still send strong messages when you have rolled out the red carpet and chilled the champagne for a state dinner? China’s Xi Jinping feted in the French capital for his first visit to Europe since 2019, this despite trade tensions, spy scandals and insistence that he isolate Vladimir Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. How much has changed since a year ago when Emmanuel Macron was accused of lax messaging on human rights and Taiwan when he traveled to Beijing?

Monday was voting day in Chad, where nearly 8 million voters were eligible to choose their next president, after three years of military rule under Mahamat Idriss Déby. Analysts widely expect the incumbent to win.

Can you still send strong messages when you've rolled out the red carpet and chilled the champagne for a state dinner? China's Xi Jinping is being feted in the French capital for his first visit to Europe since 2019, despite trade tensions, spy scandals and insistence that he isolate Vladimir Putin over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.