Chinese President Xi Jinping (left), who is on a state visit to France, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on the 6th (local time). Reuters News,
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, ‘During the 2024 Paris Olympics, the leaders of China and France proposed a halt to wars worldwide, including in Ukraine and Palestine. Regarding trade tensions, the two leaders expressed hope that their countries would become “core partners in economic and trade.”‘,
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, ‘After a summit on the 6th afternoon (local time), President Xi and President Macron held a joint press conference, where they announced that China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major power, proposed suspending all hostilities worldwide during the Paris Olympics in July and August.’,
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, ‘President Macron, while expressing respect for the long-standing relationship between China and Russia, welcomed China’s commitment to refrain from selling weapons or providing aid to Russia and to strictly control the export of dual-use items and technology that could be used for military purposes. This was interpreted as a request for China to play a more active role in Russo-Russian diplomacy.’,
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, ‘President Xi agreed to Macron’s proposal for an “Olympic truce” but deemed pressure regarding China-Russia relations as “actions inciting a new Cold War.” He reiterated a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict.’,
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, ‘Xi stated, “We oppose using the Ukraine conflict to defame third parties or incite a ‘new Cold War.’ We support an international peace conference that allows Russia and Ukraine to acknowledge each other, participate equally, and engage in balanced discussions.”‘,
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, ‘His remarks were interpreted as a signal that China would not attend the international peace conference on Ukraine scheduled to be held in Switzerland in June. The conference, proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has been boycotted by President Putin.’,
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, ‘President Xi stated that he opposes politicizing, ideologicalizing, and globalizing trade issues between China and the European Union (EU) and hopes that both parties become key partners in economic and trade cooperation. He expressed a desire for China to import more high-quality French products and promote mechanisms that span from “French farms to Chinese tables”, while also hoping for France to export more advanced and high-value-added products to China.’,
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, ‘President Macron reassured that the EU’s trade policy is not intended to create tensions and expressed a welcoming attitude toward more Chinese companies, including advanced technology firms, investing in and cooperating with France. He also appreciated President Xi’s open attitude toward the issue of Cognac.’,
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, ‘At the beginning of this year, China initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imported brandies, including Cognac from France, originating from the EU. It was reported that until the investigation is concluded, no taxes or tariffs would be imposed on Cognac. The Élysée Palace announced that the famous Cognac was included in the gift President Macron presented to President Xi.’,
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, ‘During his visit to three European countries, President Xi moved to a villa in the southern French Pyrenees, where President Macron’s maternal grandmother lived until 2013, for a lunch together before heading to Serbia. This day marked the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in NATO in response to their involvement in the 1999 Yugoslav Wars. The U.S. claimed it was a mistake, and three Chinese and fourteen Serbian individuals died in the bombing.’,
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, ‘According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, President Xi mentioned the shared experience of difficult nation-building processes in China and Serbia over the past century, emphasizing that regardless of changes in the international situation, China and Serbia should remain true friends and good partners. Referring to the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy, he stated, “Such incidents should never happen again.”‘,
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, ‘Serbia is the second country after the EU that is economically dependent on China. While Serbia has applied for EU membership, it is experiencing conflicts over the Kosovo issue and does not align with the EU’s sanctions against Russia. President Aleksandar Vucic stated in a TV interview the day before that “China is the best partner for Serbia to achieve national goals” and called for elevating bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.