The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of China has announced that President Xi Jinping will make his first trip to Europe in the past nearly five years. He will visit France, Serbia, and Hungary.
“France is the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with the People’s Republic of China,” MFA spokesperson Lin Jian explained. “During the visit, President Xi will holds talks with President Macron” to discuss China-France and China-EU relations, and the visit will also include events somewhere other than Paris.
“Serbia is China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe,” Lin said. “Our two countries have nurtured an iron-clad friendship… The two sides have had fruitful high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.”
“Hungary is an important country in Central and Eastern Europe and China’s important partner in Belt and Road cooperation and China-CEEC cooperation,” said Lin. Hungary has supported China’s peace efforts for the conflict in Ukraine and has emphasized that relations with China provide much more opportunity than risk.
