French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that Europe was "finally" united in addressing the threat from China, as Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a five-day tour of the continent.

Xi's visit comes a week after the European Union released a 10-point plan outlining a shift to more assertive relations with Beijing, warning that China was a "rival" to the bloc as well as its biggest trading partner.

The EU is split on handling China, with some fearing the rise of a global superpower and others, especially in Europe's south, willing to make deals for investment in ports, energy and transport.

"Since the beginning of my mandate, I have been calling for a real awareness and defence of European sovereignty," Macron said as he arrived for a two-day EU summit in Brussels.

"Finally, on subjects as important as China, we have it," Macron said, hailing the European Commission's document as a "very good" strategy to manage Beijing.

"I welcome this European awakening," he added, before EU leaders were to discuss relations with China.

The commission proposals include measures to push Beijing to agree to reforms of World Trade Organization rules, particularly on subsidies and forced transfers of technology.

Beijing answered that it hopes Brussels can view China in an "objective, fair and rational manner."

On his trip Xi is expected to secure a non-binding agreement for Italy to join the $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, spooking EU partners that Rome was ready to open its doors to Chinese investment and influence.

EU members Greece and Poland have also embraced the "New Silk Road" but others in the bloc fear it could lead to growing Chinese government influence on the continent.

The Italy signature comes before Xi is to have dinner on the French Riviera with Macron.

Human rights abuses are also a contentious issue among Europeans and China said Thursday it had invited EU diplomats to visit the restive northwest region of Xinjiang, where Beijing is accused of rights abuses against the ethnic Uyghur Muslims.

Officials said the dates of the visit and other arrangements were under discussion.

Macron, Merkel, Juncker and Xi to meet Tuesday in Paris
Brussels (AFP) March 21, 2019 - French President Emmanuel Macron will hold trade and climate talks on Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The leaders will be joined by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker as they seek "points of convergence between Europe and China", Macron's office said Thursday.

The meeting is part of Xi's European tour, which comes with Europe divided over his "Belt and Road" trade infrastructure project and under US pressure to shun telecom giant Huawei.

As he arrived for an EU summit in Brussels, Macron welcomed what he called Europe's "awakening" to the challenge posed by China, after Brussels published a 10-point plan for a more assertive stance.

But Macron's office struck a more conciliatory tone in announcing Tuesday's talks, saying it was an opportunity to explain Europe's strategy to China.

"We thought it was needed, because to defend multilateralism the discussion must move to the European level and not that of France alone," Macron's office said.

The meet comes ahead of an EU-China summit in Brussels on April 9.

The EU is split on handling China, with some fearing the rise of a global superpower and others, especially in Europe's south, willing to make deals for investment in ports, energy and transport.

On his trip, Xi is expected to secure a non-binding agreement for Italy to join the $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, spooking EU partners worried Rome will open its doors to Chinese influence.

EU members Greece and Poland have also embraced the "New Silk Road" but others in the bloc fear it could lead to growing Chinese government sway over politics on the continent.

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