Xi Jinping's Chinese economic juggernaut increasingly wields geopolitical clout

It was a bumper week for diplomacy in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping accompanied his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on a three-day visit to the Chinese capital and the metropolis of Guangzhou. Escaping from the fiery protests taking place in his own country, Mr Macron was received by adoring, excited crowds of students at Guangzhou's Sun Yat-sen University. Inbetween grand receptions and formal tea ceremonies, the leaders saw French companies and Chinese state-run firms clinch major business deals. Mr Macron gave Mr Xi the optics he sought: A clear reminder to the United States - who Mr Xi obliquely referred…