On Friday, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, stated that France is dedicated to a conversation with China. She understood France’s connections with China after a European Union anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese-made electric vehicles angered Beijing.
In the aftermath of the EV probe, which Beijing has criticized as being “protectionist,” trade concerns could overshadow Colonna’s visit to the Chinese capital, which was intended to encourage interactions between inhabitants of both nations, including students and tourists. However, these trade issues have the potential to eclipse Colonna’s visit.
Colonna informed China’s Premier Li Qiang that “we are really committed to dialogue with China,” and she added that she was “honored” and “happy” to see him following their meeting in Paris in June. “We are really committed to dialogue with China,” she said.
Colonna reaffirmed that she was “honored” to have Li accept her in a post on X, then known as Twitter.
“With China, we are working to find answers to global climate, biodiversity, and debt challenges, and to deepen and rebalance our economic relationship,” wrote the ambassador.
After China-EU ties took a plunge due to the epidemic, Colonna’s journey will take place before a visit by the presidents of the European Commission and Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, to Beijing at the beginning of December for the first in-person meeting with President Xi Jinping in four years. The summit will take place in Beijing.
In the face of what the G7 calls China’s “economic coercion,” European authorities have repeatedly committed to minimizing economic reliance on China in vital areas. This strategy is also known as “de-risking.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year in China, stated that the European Union should stop being stupid and seek a level playing field with nations like China. Macron had been pressing the European Commission behind the scenes to initiate the investigation.
China is France’s third-largest trading partner; nevertheless, French and other European businesses are highly concerned about China’s massive trade deficit with the EU, its opaque rules on cross-border data transfers, and the rush of inexpensive Chinese electric vehicles into the European market, which poses a danger to domestic carmakers. China is France’s third-largest trading partner.
Concerns have also been raised in France over attempts by China to coerce French cosmetics businesses into disclosing their manufacturing processes to Chinese parties.
According to China’s customs office, France is the country that provides the most imports of cosmetics and wine to China. French luxury titans such as LMVH (LVMH.PA) mainly depend on Chinese customers’ purchasing power. The absence of a significant resurgence in demand for luxury goods in the wake of China’s post-pandemic reopening has given investors cause for concern.
During a phone chat on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, she emphasized that China is open to receiving investments from French enterprises. Macron also encouraged China to treat international businesses fairly.
During the Chinese premier’s meeting with Colonna, he expressed optimism over the expansion of bilateral ties.
“Under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Macron, the relationship between China and France has been developing better and better in all aspects since this year,” according to Li.
“Next year will be the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and both of us are sustaining our efforts in the hope that the 60th year will see a big development and breakthrough.”
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