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

China’s President Xi Jinping presents books by French authors produced in China to French President Emmanuel Macron, right, during a gifts exchange at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, May 6, 2024. China’s President Xi Jinping is in France for a two-day state visit that is expected to focus both on trade disputes and diplomatic efforts to convince Beijing to use its influence to move Russia toward ending the war in Ukraine. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP)