China appealed to France to incline the European Union to a “positive” and “pragmatic” policy towards China as the bloc tightens controls on Chinese goods and market access, according to Asian Media.
Wang Yi, China’s top official, expressed hope on Saturday during a telephone conversation with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, that “the French side will push the EU to continue to pursue a positive and pragmatic policy towards China.”
The conversation took place ahead of Xi Jinping’s expected visit to France, which will reportedly take place as early as next Sunday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Hungary has confirmed that the Chinese president will visit the country on 8-10 May after a stopover in Serbia.
The visit to Europe comes amid renewed trade tensions between China and the EU, as the European Commission last week launched an investigation into alleged preferential treatment given by Beijing to Chinese companies in the purchase of medical devices. The EU executive is also investigating state subsidies given to companies making environmental products such as wind turbines and solar panels, which undermine the competitiveness of European companies.
Wang Yi urged Europe to take an independent stance on China, even as relations with the United States gradually strained. Yi added that “the international community expects China and France to have a unanimous position on major issues affecting world peace and stability and the future destiny of humanity.” The Ministry quoted Bonne as saying:
“The two sides should join hands to promote the de-escalation of hotspot issues, address global challenges such as climate change and make positive contributions to narrowing the gap between the North and the South and avoiding confrontation between camps.”
Emmanuel Bonne said France rejects block confrontation and is ready to use the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges and strengthen practical co-operation.
