Stable China-Europe ties in focus
Xi calls for mutual trust in talks with French, EU leaders
Both presidents also attended the closing ceremony of the fifth meeting of the Sino-French entrepreneurs' committee.
During the trilateral meeting with Macron and von der Leyen, Xi said that the China-EU relationship is not targeted at, subjugated to, or controlled by any third party. He expressed his hope that the EU could take an independent approach to developing its relations with China and adopt a pragmatic and proactive China policy.
Hyping up the so-called issue of "democracy versus authoritarianism" and provoking a new "Cold War" will result in division and confrontation, Xi said.
He called for fostering a cooperation environment that upholds openness and mutual trust, and avoiding the politicization of economic and trade issues.
China and the EU need to jointly safeguard global stability and prosperity, and oppose hegemonism and unilateralism, Xi said.
Both Macron and von der Leyen expressed their opposition to economic decoupling and the disruption of industrial and supply chains, saying that such attempts are not in the interests of the EU.
In a separate meeting with Von der Leyen, Xi called for China and the EU to maintain close communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, focus on win-win cooperation and jointly overcome disturbances and challenges in order to realize the high-level development of China-EU ties.
Both sides should carry out in-depth dialogue and communication on economic and trade issues, he said.
Noting that China is an important partner of the EU in addressing challenges such as those arising from energy supply and inflation, as well as in improving competitiveness, Xi said that the nation welcomes the EU continuing to share the dividends of its development.
Von der Leyen reiterated that the EU has no intention of changing its long-standing one-China policy and recognizes that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing China, and she expressed the EU's hope that peace and stability are maintained across the Taiwan Straits.
Zhu Wenqian contributed to this story.
