When France’s president arrives in Beijing today the Chinese government will roll out the red carpet for him, in striking contrast to the open aversion it has shown toward Britain for the past year.
François Hollande will meet China’s newly installed President Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, the premier, along with other top Communist party officials during a two-day visit that analysts and diplomats say is partly aimed at applying pressure on London.
The UK government has been in China’s diplomatic deep-freeze since May last year when David Cameron, the prime minister, met the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, reviled by the Chinese government.