French President Emmanuel Macron will hold trade and climate talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, AFP reported. 

The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will join the leaders, who will try to find “points of convergence between Europe and China,” Macron's office said on Thursday.

According to the source, the meeting will provide an opportunity to explain Europe’s strategy to China.

“We thought it was needed, because to defend multilateralism the discussion must move to the European level and not that of France alone,” Macron's office added.

The meeting will be held ahead of the EU-China summit in Brussels on April 9.

The EU is split on handling China, with some member states fearing the rise of a global superpower and others, especially in European south, willing to make deals for investment in ports, energy and transport.

Xi is expected to secure an agreement for Italy to join the $1trillion Belt and Road Initiative.

EU members Greece and Poland have also embraced the “New Silk Road.”