BEIJING: Foreign experts have highly commended President Xi Jinping’s state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary, citing the fruitful outcomes and positive impact.
They said that Xi’s six-day visit to Europe, his first in five years, was pivotal for constructive economic cooperation and significant for bilateral and multilateral relations.
He issued a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron, announced the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and proclaimed the elevation of bilateral relations between China and Hungary to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
“These are huge achievements for all the countries involved, including China, France, Serbia and Hungary. And they point the way toward constructive engagement for economic development and employment,” Jack Midgley, principal of global consultancy Midgley &Co, told China Daily.
As China develops and has stronger economic and political influence, Europe has to decide how to engage with China, said Midgley. “We should do that outside the shadow of the US. Let’s do this on the basis of mutual interest,” he said.
“The China-Europe relationships are characterized in economic terms by the development of infrastructure, the development of employment, foreign investment, and so forth,” said Midgley, who is also an adjunct associate professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University in Washington. “This allows a more practical discussion, and it encourages countries to view the relationship in bilateral terms.”
Jelena Grubor Stefanovic, director of the representative office of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, said that President Xi’s historic visit is a boost to the further expansion of economic relations and trade between China and Serbia.
During his trip to Serbia last week, President Xi announced six major steps to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future, including a free-trade agreement taking effect on July 1. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
