Beijing [China], May 7: AFP reported on May 6 that French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen held three-way talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Paris (France). This is Mr. Xi's first trip to Europe since 2019.
During the talks, Mr. Macron emphasized that coordination between China and France on "major crises" in Ukraine and the Middle East is "absolutely decisive." In addition, EC President Leyen said that the European Union (EU) relies on China to end the fighting in Ukraine. For his part, Mr. Xi said he wanted to cooperate with the international community to find a way to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, while emphasizing that China "is not a party to the conflict", according to the daily newspaper. Le Figaro newspaper .
In addition to war issues, European leaders also called for expanding cooperation and resolving barriers in Europe-China trade . Specifically, Mr. Macron called for "fair rules for all" in trade relations between the two sides, and emphasized that "the future of the former continent will clearly depend on the ability to develop relations with China in a balanced way".
Ms. Leyen pointed out that China and the EU have extensive economic relationships. However, this relationship is challenged by issues such as overcapacity, unfair market access, and overdependence. "All of these issues are issues that we will address in these talks," Ms. Leyen said.
As for Beijing, President Xi stated that China views Europe as a priority in its foreign policy, and views the China-EU relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective. According to him, as important forces in the world, China and the EU should continue to commit to a partnership as the world enters a new period of chaos and change.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper