French President Emmanuel Macron was welcomed in China on Wednesday with a grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, marking the start of his three-day state visit.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on France to collaborate with Beijing to promote multilateralism, global solidarity, and cooperation. “China is ready to work with France, always bearing in mind the fundamental interests of our peoples and the long-term interests of the international community, to overcome various disturbances,” said Xi.
He added that there should be open cooperation to ensure that the China–France comprehensive strategic partnership moves forward more steadily and effectively in the next 60 years.
The two leaders held wide-ranging talks on Thursday, covering issues including ending the war in Ukraine and addressing global economic imbalances. Macron has been hoping to secure Beijing’s help to end the war in Ukraine. China, a major Russian trading partner, regularly calls for peace talks and respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, but has never condemned Russia for its 2022 invasion.
Macron, accompanied by a large business delegation, is on his fourth state visit to China. The leaders signed 12 cooperation agreements following their talks, covering population ageing, bilateral investment, nuclear energy, and panda conservation. They will also travel to Chengdu in Sichuan province, where Macron and Xi will hold talks in Dujiangyan, home to one of the world’s oldest irrigation systems and the two giant pandas China had previously loaned to France.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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