The state visits of Chinese President Xi Jinping to France, Serbia, and Hungary from May 5-10 further strengthened the scope, pace, utility, and diversity of bilateral relations with these countries. They also affirmed China-EU cooperation for achieving win-win propositions, transcontinental connectivity, better political understanding, and mutually befitting socio-economic coordination.
In France, Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron held in-depth exchanges and reached agreements with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on China-EU relations and practical approaches to solving Ukraine and Mideast conflicts. In Serbia, Xi unveiled initial practical measures to support building a joint community with a shared future in the new era to which he and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had agreed.
In Hungary, the meetings with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban established a China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for the new era, underlined the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, and reaffirmed the importance of working for global security and peace and safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core.
The visits signal the restart of a new era of true multiculturalism and multilateral global politics, just and fair economic globalization, and equitable international cooperation, as well as avoiding divisions, destruction, and demoralizing others’ national narratives among different sociopolitical systems and governance models.
The visits reflect China’s openness, belief in peaceful co-existence, provision of opportunities to others with its unique approach to modernization, and true persuasions of Xi’s Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative in promoting the spirit of true globalization, international law based global governance, and sustainable and common security for all countries alike
They also amount to reawakening of Europe’s true essence of political autonomy, economic independence and diplomatic free will from the forced ideologies, protectionism, and bloc mentality of a superpower. They portend to the end of the de-linking doctrine and to jointly gearing toward greater socioeconomic and industrial connections to overcome looming threats of high inflation, economic stagnation, and demise of qualitative industrialization and investments.
Naturally, Macron’s famous saying that Europe is mortal and needs readjustments upholds the key of Europe’s success in international affairs and channels of productivity.
Also, the visits reflect China’s openness, belief in peaceful co-existence, provision of opportunities to others with its unique approach to modernization, and true persuasions of Xi’s Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative in promoting the spirit of true globalization, international law based global governance, and sustainable and common security for all countries alike.
As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a press briefing, Xi’s visits are full of friendship and fraternity, enhancing mutual trust, boosting confidence, and charting the course for the future.
The mutual consensuses of Xi with other state leaders on further strengthening bilateral relations, tapping the broad potential of mutually beneficial cooperation and acceleration of people-to-people exchanges, and building greater consensus on global cooperation for a shared future of humanity, plus the dozens of agreements on specific fields, have further brightened prospects for common and sustainable prosperity and security. They have been welcomed across the board, including by the business community and investors.
Furthermore, Xi’s trilateral meeting with Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen simply upheld the Chinese wisdom of geo-economics, joint development, international cooperation and firm belief in constructive dialogue, diplomacy and political determination to resolve the emerging geopolitical issues.
Responding to Xi’s messages, von der Leyen expressed her wish for the EU to work with China in the spirit of mutual respect, seek common ground despite differences, enhance mutual trust, avoid misunderstanding, jointly uphold the international order based on international law, and promote world peace, security, and prosperity.
Contrary to claims of some Western media outlets and politicians that Xi’s visit causes division between the European Union and the US, Xi’s proposals for jointly working for a multipolar world and preventing a new Cold War or bloc confrontation are essential for global peace, stability, and harmony in an equal and orderly multipolar world.
The leaders’ joint statements, especially that with France, also reflect commonalities of purpose to achieve peace in Europe and the Middle East.
On the Ukraine crisis, they clarified and highlighted China’s constructive impartiality and continuous peaceful role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, stressed the need to jointly oppose spillover and escalation of the fighting, and create conditions for peace talks, which goes in line with Chinese efforts to facilitate talks for peace all along.
Xi’s principal stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict won more hearts and minds as China and the EU share many important commonalities on the Palestinian question. China is ready to work with the EU to support a more broad-based, authoritative, and effective international peace conference to be held as quickly as possible to set a timetable and a roadmap for the two-state solution and to promote comprehensive, just, and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.
In summary, Xi’s visit to Europe again demonstrates China’s will for friendship and opportunities for growth for other countries, China’s wisdom for and contribution to global peace and development, and China’s increasingly significant role as a responsible major power.
Dr Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
President: Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge, Pakistan
Executive Director: The Center for South & International Studies (CSAIS) Islamabad