April 7, 2023

During talks with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that cooperation and common ground between China and the EU outweigh competition and differences, and China is prepared to work with the EU to set the right direction and tone for China-EU ties, fully resume exchanges at all levels and revitalize mutually-beneficial cooperation in various fields, injecting fresh impetus into China-EU relations and global peace, stability and prosperity.

Observers said that China's signal for enhancing cooperation during the two European leaders' visit is set to stabilize relations and dispel certain concerns from Europe, at a juncture when the relations need to be restarted and boosted after the differences of recent years and lack of direct communication. Moreover, Xi's proposed joint call with France on political settlement of  the Ukraine crisis ushers in an important step for China and France to jointly push for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing crisis, and shows China's wisdom and capability in mediating peace talks. 

In meeting with Macron who is on a state visit to China on Thursday, Xi said China and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries with a tradition of independence. They are firm advocates for a multi-polar world and for greater democracy in international relations.

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