Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron held a summit on the morning of the 4th local time and exchanged views on the Ukraine issue and diplomatic and trade pending matters. Xi repeatedly emphasized multilateralism, and Macron urged Xi to support Europe's position on the Ukraine issue. He added, "France respects the 'one China' principle."
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and Bloomberg, Xi and Macron met at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing around 10 a.m. that day. The leaders' wives, Peng Liyuan and Brigitte, also accompanied them. After a handshake and a brief conversation, Xi and Macron inspected the honor guard and attended a welcome ceremony that included a gun salute before moving into a closed-door meeting.
At the talks, Xi stressed that "we must stand firmly on the right side of history," and said, "No matter how the external environment changes, the two countries should understand and support each other on core interests and major concerns to safeguard the political foundation of bilateral relations." He added, "As founding members of the United Nations and permanent members of the Security Council, China and France should practice genuine multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, and strengthen communication and cooperation for the peaceful resolution of disputes."
Macron responded, "France values its relationship with China, firmly adheres to the 'one China' principle, and is willing to continuously deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries." Given Macron's mention of the "one China" principle, it is presumed that the two leaders also discussed the Taiwan issue.
China, which is clashing with Japan over Taiwan, has sought France's support. France is preparing to invite Xi ahead of next year's Group of Seven (G7) summit. Ahead of the leaders' summit, Wang Yi, China's Minister of Foreign Affairs, met the previous day with Jean-Noël Barrot, France's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and, stressing that China and France were victors in World War II, urged, "Please continue to understand and support China's position (on Japan)."
The Ukraine issue was also discussed at the summit. Macron urged Xi to support Europe's position on the Ukraine issue, and Xi said, "China supports all efforts for peace and will continue to play a constructive role in a Chinese way for a political settlement." The Israel-Hamas issue was also discussed. At a joint press conference right after the talks, Xi said, "We will provide $100 million (about 147.3 billion won) to Palestine to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and help with recovery and reconstruction."
Xi cited aviation, space, nuclear power, the green economy, the digital economy, biomedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and new energy as areas for bilateral cooperation, saying, "China is willing to import more of France's high-quality products and welcomes French corporations to enter the Chinese market." In response, Macron said, "France welcomes the expansion of Chinese corporations' investment in France," and added, "We are willing to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as mutual investment, the economy and trade, and renewable energy, and to promote amicable cultural exchanges."
After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements in areas including nuclear power, agricultural and food products, education, and the ecological environment. Macron is scheduled to visit Chengdu in Sichuan province with Xi on the 5th before returning to France.
Reuters said, "Because the Chinese president rarely accompanies foreign leaders on visits outside Beijing, he is expected to lavish (Macron) with hospitality," adding, "However, Xi is unlikely to sign an order for Airbus planes or propose a tariff exemption for European Union (EU) brandy, 99% of which is made in France."
Meanwhile, Macron's trip to China is the first in a little over two years since April 2023 and was made as a return visit following Xi's earlier trip to France. Xi paid a state visit to France last year to mark the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties.