Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during his third state visit to the European country. This year, the two countries are celebrating the 60th anniversary of China-France relations.
Comments from Xi
Xi said that “as the world goes through [a] transformation not seen in a century,” both countries should “jointly prevent a new cold war or bloc confrontation.” They should also “work together for an equal and orderly multipolar world and [...] jointly oppose decoupling and cutting off supply chains.”
Xi added that Paris and Beijing must advocate for the peaceful settlement of global issues as permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Comments from Macron
Macron insisted that France “will continue to open its market to China and will not adopt discriminatory policies against Chinese companies.” He welcomed investment by more Chinese companies, including high-tech firms, and expressed willingness to step up cooperation in areas such as aerospace and nuclear energy for civilian use.
He formally invited the Chinese delegation to the Paris Olympic Games and also pledged to stay in close communication on global issues, including climate change, biodiversity protection, and AI.
Commerce et accès au marché, concurrence équitable et investissement, situations en Ukraine et au Moyen-Orient : la relation entre la Chine et l’Europe, la coordination entre nous, est décisive. pic.twitter.com/hi0c3Tx2iB
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 6, 2024
On the Gaza Conflict
In a joint statement, China and France condemned “all violations of international humanitarian law, including all acts of terrorist violence and indiscriminate attacks against civilians.”
They expressed opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians and the Israeli operation in Rafah, which they said “will lead to a greater humanitarian disaster.”
Xi and Macron also called for “the effective opening of all necessary passages and border crossings for the speedy, safe, sustainable and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.”
On Ukraine
Xi said that China “opposes attempts to use the Ukraine crisis to scapegoat or smear a third country or to stoke a new cold war.” he added that history has proven that “conflicts can only be resolved through negotiation.”
“We call on all parties to resume engagement and dialogue to build mutual trust. We support holding at a proper time an international peace conference that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine and ensures the equal participation of all parties and fair discussions on all peace plans,” he underscored.