Xi Jinping received French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing

Xi welcomed Macron on a huge red carpet lined with Chinese and French flags to the sound of the countries' national anthems.

Before the meeting began, the French leader wrote on Twitter in French, Chinese and English that he was "convinced of China's leading role in the development of the world," something he planned to talk about with the Chinese leader in particular.

"Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to stability. I know I can count on you to bring Russia back to sanity and bring everyone back to the negotiating table," Macron told Xi Jinping.

They will hold a press conference after the talks, and then Xi Jinping and Macron will be joined by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who is accompanying Macron on his visit.

Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited China and urged Xi to call Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

Xi Jinping was in Moscow March 20-22, becoming the first leader to meet with Putin since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest. They made a series of joint statements and signed joint documents.