French first lady Brigitte Macron has reunited with a giant panda born in France during a visit to China with President Emmanuel Macron.

BEIJING, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.

Emmanuel Macron has embarked on a three-day state visit to China. He is expected to urge Xi to help push Russia toward a ceasefire in Ukraine and discuss access to the Chinese market.

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, seeking stronger commercial ties, as the European Union prepares to toughen up its trade rules. A large business delegation is accompanying Macron on his fourth state visit to the world's second-largest economy.

During a state visit, the French president urged President Xi Jinping to take a harsher stance on Russia and smooth out trade imbalances. Despite signing 12 agreements, Xi’s remained noncommittal on these larger questions.

French President Emmanuel Macron concluded his three-day state visit to China on Friday, with the enthusiastic welcome he received at Sichuan University in Southwest China's Sichuan Province quickly becoming a trending topic on Chinese social media.

The French president lands in Beijing on the first leg of a tour where he is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

At a panda reserve in southwest China that Yuan Meng now calls home, the first lady marveled at how big he has grown.