Maintain interests, seek balance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Europe seeking to maintain and develop relations with traditional partners.

The trip to France, Serbia, and Hungary from May 5-10 was Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Europe in five years.

From left: Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a trilateral meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 6. (Source: AP)

Separation from China is illogical.

Upon arriving in France on May 6th, President Xi Jinping praised the Sino-French relationship as "a model for the international community to coexist peacefully and cooperate for mutual benefit among countries with different social systems," building on last year's declaration of a "global strategic partnership" between China and France.

During talks with host President Emmanuel Macron, both sides agreed to build consensus on global cooperation in areas such as responding to climate change, maintaining biodiversity, and reforming the global financial system. Regarding international issues, the two leaders called on all parties to strive for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip; to promote peace negotiations on the situation in Ukraine; and to seek a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. On this occasion, the two countries signed 18 inter-sectoral cooperation agreements on aviation, agriculture, green development, cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises, and several other fields.

In particular, Xi Jinping held trilateral talks with Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. During these talks, the two European leaders expressed their desire for China's cooperation in finding a solution regarding Ukraine. This request comes amidst Beijing's cautious stance on the issue since the conflict erupted in 2022, while simultaneously strengthening relations with Moscow.

Notably, despite the fact that China-Europe relations are no longer what they were five years ago, Xi Jinping's visit still received a special welcome from France. President Macron invited the guest from Beijing to the Pyrenees Mountains, his maternal grandmother's hometown, to enjoy the atmosphere and some local cuisine. At the same time, speaking before the Franco-Chinese Business Council, the leader emphasized: “Our common goal is to maintain relations. Separation from China is illogical. It is about maintaining national security, maintaining mutual respect and understanding.”

However, while continuing to expand trade cooperation, France hopes this will be done on the basis of "equality in all aspects, whether tariffs, subsidies or market access." This statement addresses the European Union's (EU) concerns over accusations that China is subsidizing electric vehicles, restricting market access for foreign businesses, and continuing to produce excess capacity.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement in Belgrade, May 8. (Source: Reuters)

Not limited to economics

Concluding his two-day trip to France, Xi Jinping visited Serbia and Hungary, two strategic partners of China and leading countries in economic, social, and diplomatic relations within the framework of the previous "16+1" initiative.

President Xi Jinping's second visit to Serbia in eight years will carry a strong political message. It coincides with the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the alliance's intervention in former Yugoslavia. For Serbian President Alexander Vucic, the visit is a major outcome given Western criticism of Serbia's relationship with Kosovo. For his part, Xi Jinping will have the opportunity to reiterate his support for Serbia's territorial integrity and his clear political alignment with Belgrade regarding Kosovo.

Economically, China is attracted to the Western Balkans and Serbia due to their geostrategic location and proximity to EU markets. Currently, the Asian powerhouse has 61 projects worth over $21 billion in the Balkans. Trade between China and Serbia has increased from under $450 million (2012) to over $4 billion (2023). Of course, relations between Belgrade and Beijing are not limited to economics. Serbia has signed an economic aid and military procurement package worth $3 billion with China. Statistically, 85% of Serbians have a favorable view of China.

The tangible results were evident on the very first day of the visit. President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed a joint agreement on enhancing bilateral strategic partnership and building a China-Serbia community of shared destiny in the new era, marking Serbia as the first Western country to join this model.

The joint statement by the leaders of China and Serbia stated that the two countries have decided to further deepen and promote their comprehensive strategic partnership. Serbia was the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to become a comprehensive strategic partner of China eight years ago.

The two sides also exchanged more than 20 documents on cooperation in various fields such as promoting legal cooperation, regulatory and economic cooperation, and Serbia will become the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China in many years.

Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping at Buda Castle in Budapest on May 9. (Source: Reuters)

Looking towards a brighter future.

After Serbia, Xi Jinping traveled to Hungary. In a statement upon arriving in Budapest, the Chinese leader said: "We will make strong and resolute efforts, working together to build humanity for a shared future, contributing to peace, stability, development and prosperity throughout the world."

He expressed confidence that, through the coordinated efforts of both sides, the visit to the country dubbed "the jewel of the Danube" would be "a complete success and open up a brighter future for bilateral relations."

Beijing hopes to elevate its relationship with Budapest to a higher qualitative level. President Xi Jinping said he sees "vast opportunities" to strengthen bilateral relations with Hungary and looks forward to meeting with the country's leaders.

Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the guest from the Northeast Asian country planned to hold talks with the host country's President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and was expected to sign 16 agreements.

Hungary signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China in 2017 and was the first European country to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Trade between the two countries nearly doubled in 10 years, from $7 billion (2012) to $13 billion (2022), but Hungary's trade deficit with China also increased from $3.6 billion to $8.5 billion. Notably, Hungary maintains an independent stance from the EU on issues concerning China. It has blocked the bloc's statements regarding international court rulings on the South China Sea, the Hong Kong issue, and BRI cooperation.

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President Xi Jinping's three-country European tour shows that, in addition to its relationship with the EU, China is tending towards "bilateralizing" its relations with each member state. In reality, Europe remains largely ununified when it comes to future strategies with China. Finding a balance between "negotiated partnerships," "economic competition for technological leadership," and "systemic competition of governance models" in its relationship with China, as outlined by the European Commission in March 2019, will be a challenging task for European nations.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chu-tich-trung-quoc-tham-chau-au-duy-tri-loi-ich-tim-kiem-can-bang-270686.html