General Secretary Xi Jinping of China is in Lyon, France today, the second stop on a European swing, his first trip there since taking over the leadership of China’s Communist party. He has already visited Amsterdam, where he met with President Obama. After France, including a visit to Paris, Mr. Xi will continue on to Germany and Belgium.

Chinese leaders have grown accustomed to warm welcomes in Europe.  In 2004, Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao arrived in Paris to find the Eiffel Tower bathed in red light, the Champs Elysee given over to a Chinese cultural march, and Jacques Chirac promising to scrap the EU arms embargo on China.