——- Chinese, French leaders to meet in Paris to discuss regional and global issues
BEIJING: President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday in a significant diplomatic move to strengthen relations with China’s key European partners, a trip widely expected to reaffirm and solidify robust ties while better managing differences.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were greeted by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal upon their arrival at Paris Orly Airport, in a ceremony that included a guard of honor and a red carpet. The landmark visit, Xi’s third after those in 2014 and 2019, came as the two nations celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.
In written remarks delivered at the airport, Xi noted that ties between China and France have always stood at the forefront of China’s diplomatic relations with Western countries, and he hailed the two sides’ setting an example for peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries of different social systems.
He emphasized that he hopes the visit can present an opportunity for both nations to consolidate their traditional friendship, build up political mutual trust, forge strategic consensuses and deepen exchanges and cooperation across various sectors.
The two nations should “light up the path ahead with the torch of history, work toward an even better future of China-France relations, and make new contributions to global peace, stability and development”, he said.
Xi and his host, French President Emmanuel Macron, are set to exchange views on bilateral ties, China-European Union relations and major global and regional issues, and the two heads of state will meet outside Paris for further in-depth interactions.
The Chinese president’s six-day trip to Europe — his first tour overseas this year — will also include key engagements with the leaders of Serbia and Hungary.
Some analysts have underlined the important role of stronger collaboration on strategic issues between China and France in ensuring the stability of ties between China and the EU and solving global challenges going forward. Feng Zhongping, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of European Studies, said that head-of-state diplomacy has been instrumental in leading the way for ties between Beijing and Paris, which have long stood at the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries. “The frequent personal interactions between Xi and Macron have charted the path forward for bilateral relations, and the strategic dialogue” between the two leaders during the trip will “pave the way for a higher level of mutual trust and cooperation”, he said.
Meanwhile, a more solid and robust comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France will enable a better response to global challenges such as climate change, Feng said. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
