On the morning of May 6, President Xi Jinping had a trilateral meeting of China, France and the European Union (EU) with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
President Xi expressed his delight in meeting with President Macron and President von der Leyen again. He noted that France is the first stop of his overseas visit this year, and that the trilateral meeting amplifies the Europe-wide significance of this visit. China always approaches its relations with the EU from a strategic and long-term perspective. It regards Europe as an important dimension in its major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and an important partner on its path toward Chinese modernization. It is hoped that China-France and China-EU relations would reinforce each other and thrive together.
As the world enters a new period of turbulence and transformation, China and the EU, as two important forces in the world, should continue to see each other as partners, stay committed to dialogue and cooperation, deepen strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, build strategic consensus, carry out strategic coordination, work for steady and sound growth of China-EU ties, and continue making new contributions to world peace and development.