The French president welcomed his Chinese counterpart on Sunday night for the start of a three-day state visit.

Emmanuel Macron welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping Sunday night on the Cote d'Azur, calling for "a strong multilateralism" when his counterpart promotes during his mini-European tour his ambitious economic program "New Silk Roads", cause for concern in Brussels and Washington. "Very pleased to welcome President XI Jinping and his wife to France, this visit will strengthen our strategic partnership and affirm the role of France, Europe and China in favor of a strong multilateralism", s' Emmanuel Macron is congratulated on Twitter, a few moments after welcoming Xi Jinping to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, in the Alpes-Maritimes, for a private dinner that ended shortly before 9.30 pm, on the eve of the official start of his visit. France, Monday.

>> READ ALSO - What are the "new silk roads", this pharaonic project of China?

Exchanges of gifts in a beautiful villa

Preceded by the Macron couple, Xi Jinping and his wife arrived around 7 pm at the villa Kérylos, villa-museum Belle Epoque, with Greek reminiscences, overlooking the Mediterranean a few kilometers from Nice. Upon his arrival, the Chinese president toured the villa with Emmanuel Macron, admiring the sunset over the sea. "I am delighted to welcome you to France," slipped the French president. Emmanuel Macron offered his counterpart a French translation of Confucius dating back to the 17th century, a manuscript illustrating the beginnings of European Sinology. Xi Jinping offered him a precious vase specially designed for the occasion, combining images representing their two countries, including a panda and a rooster.

The French president, who is trying to unify the European approach against China, both rival and partner, has associated Germany and the European Union to the visit of President Xi in France. While Europe is in the middle of questioning China's diplomatic and commercial ambitions, Xi Jinping and Emmanuel Macron will be joined Tuesday in Paris by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, for one of key moments of this visit.

The "new silk roads", sources of concern

In Italy, where he was before arriving in Nice on Sunday morning, Xi Jinping promised a two-way "Silk Road" to try to defuse the worries about his economic plans in Brussels and Washington. The announcement of the participation of Italy in this pharaonic project of maritime and terrestrial infrastructure - by a protocol of agreement "non-binding", according to the head of the Italian government Giuseppe Conte - was welcomed by some European partners. Emmanuel Macron criticized the Italian rider alone and German officials have abounded, including the German Foreign Minister Heiko Haas, or the European Commissioner for Budget, Günther Oettinger.