Call it Cognac diplomacy. France offered China’s Xi a special drink, in a wink at their trade spat

How do you smooth over trade tensions with the all-powerful leader of economic powerhouse China? Charm him with a bottle of Cognac or two. That seemed to be French President Emmanuel Macron’s strategy with his carefully selected gift list for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. China recently opened an anti-dumping investigation into European brandy. It’s seen as retaliation for EU investigations into Chinese subsidies for electric cars and medical devices. Those disputes were central to talks between Xi and Macron on Monday. The two leaders then exchanged gifts as part of the protocol of formal state visits. Macron's gifts for Xi included two bottles of Cognac.