Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on his first Europe trip in five years, a visit likely to be dominated by discussions on Russia’s war in Ukraine and economic tensions between Beijing and Brussels.
The first stop was France, where Xi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 6, before heading to the Pyrenees.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron hosted a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday evening.
Xi’s visit marks the 60th anniversary of France-China diplomatic relations, and follows Macron’s trip to China in April 2023.
Trade and Ukraine as top priorities as Macron meets Xi
Xi and Macron’s meeting focused on trade disputes and Ukraine-related diplomatic efforts.
Trade matters took center stage as Macron criticized China’s trade practices, accusing them of bolstering protections and subsidies.
Speaking alongside Xi after their meeting, Macron said that France hopes to continue its exports, including brandy and cosmetics, to the Chinese market.
Macron also hoped China will influence Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. “We welcome the Chinese authorities’ commitments to refrain from selling any weapons or aid” and to “strictly control” sales of products and technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, Macron said.
China, however, claims neutrality in the matter. “History has repeatedly proven that any conflict can ultimately be resolved only through negotiation,” Xi said. “We call on all parties to restart contact and dialogue.”
Earlier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined the two leaders for a meeting aimed at addressing broader concerns of European Union. She underscored that the Europe and China relationship was hurt by unequal market access and Chinese state subsidies.
“For trade to be fair, access to both markets needs to be reciprocal,” von der Leyen said after the meeting. “Our market is and remains open to fair competition and to investments, but it is not good for Europe if it harms our security and makes us vulnerable.”
She said that Europe “will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and its security.”
President Xi attends China-France-EU trilateral meeting in Paris
China’s President also attended China-France-EU trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Élysée Palace in Paris on May 6. During meeting Xi emphasized the importance of enhancing the relationship between China and EU.
During the trilateral meeting, Macron said Europe and China needed to resolve structural difficulties, in particular on trade as “The future of our continent will also very clearly depend on our capacity to further develop in a balanced way our relationship with China.”
The Chinese President emphasized that Beijing considers Europe a crucial element of its major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and a significant partner in its modernization efforts.
Chinese President heads to Serbia
After completing a two-day visit to Europe, President XI headed to European ally Serbia on Tuesday. The visit falls on the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO’s air war over Kosovo.
“We must not forget that 25 years ago today, NATO brazenly bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia,” Xi said, according to translations carried by Chinese state media. “The Chinese people value peace but will never allow historical tragedies to happen again,” Xi added.