Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is due to make a state visit to France on Monday and Tuesday next week, Paris announced yesterday, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East expected to be high on the agenda.
The visit to France, which is to be followed by trips to Serbia and Hungary, marks the Chinese leader’s first European tour since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This visit takes place on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and follows on from the president’s visit to Beijing and Guangzhou in April 2023,” French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement.
Photo: EPA-EFE / Xinhua / Shen Hong
“Exchanges will focus on international crises, first and foremost the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, trade issues, scientific, cultural and sporting cooperation,” the Elysee palace added.
Xi and Macron would also discuss “joint actions to tackle global challenges, in particular the climate emergency, the protection of biodiversity and the financial situation of the most vulnerable countries,” the statement said.
“China looks forward to working with France to take this visit as an opportunity,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian (林劍) said, also referring to Beijing’s readiness to “make new contributions to world peace, stability, development and progress.”
France is preparing to host the Olympic Games this summer, and Macron has said he would do “everything possible” to have an Olympic truce during the Games. The truce is a historic tradition that peace reigns during the Olympics.
Macron has said he would ask the Chinese president to help him in that aim when he visits Paris.
Macron has been seeking to dissuade China from supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. Last year, he called on Xi to “bring Russia to its senses” over Ukraine and urged him not to deliver weapons to Moscow.
Despite Western pressure, cooperation between China and Russia has only grown since the invasion of Ukraine.
After visiting France, Xi is due to visit Serbia and Hungary. He is to stop in Hungary on Wednesday to Friday next week, the central European country’s government announced last week.
Despite its small size, Hungary has attracted a flood of major Chinese projects in recent years, mostly related to battery and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.
The Hungarian government said it has about 15 billion euros (US$16 billion) of ongoing projects with China.
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