Xi Jinping’s Visit to Europe and Its Significance
financialexpress.comBy Rahul Pandey
Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited three ‘carefully chosen’ European countries: France, Serbia and Hungary. This visit from May 5-10, marked President Xi’s first European visit in the past five years. Notably, his previous trip to San Francisco (which led to the signing of the ‘San Francisco Vision’) in November saw the signing of the forward-looking vision for Sino-U.S. relations, signalling a significant milestone in China’s relations with Western countries. The choice of destinations—France in Western Europe, Serbia in the East, and Hungary in Central Europe—reflects a nuanced geopolitical strategy. France, navigating a delicate balancing act between China and the United States, holds particular significance in Western Europe.
Meanwhile, Serbia and Hungary have emerged as influential pro-Russia voices in Europe, each forging comprehensive strategic partnerships with China and actively participating in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, this visit assumes heightened geopolitical importance. Moreover, 2024 marks the sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France and the completion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Serbia in 1999. Beyond the immediate diplomatic and economic agreements, this visit is poised to have far-reaching global implications in the medium to long term.
China-France Relations
In Paris, President Xi Jinping engaged in bilateral discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen during a two-day visit, coinciding with heightened
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