Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed hope that his state visit to France will strengthen mutual political trust between the two countries.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived in Paris on Sunday, beginning a state visit to France, which became the first trip by a Chinese leader to this European country in five years.
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“I hope that through this visit, we will strengthen the two countries’ traditional friendship and mutual political trust, achieve strategic consensus, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and use the torch of history to illuminate the way forward,” Xi Jinping said in a written statement, published by China Central Television.
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He also expressed hope that the visit will help the two sides create a better future for China-France relations and make new contributions to peace, stability and development around the world.
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Xi Jinping also recalled that this is his third state visit to France, which he visited in 2014 and 2019 to celebrate the 50th and 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
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“Sixty years ago, China and France overcame the Cold War barriers and established diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. Over the past 60 years, China-France relations have always been in the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries, setting an example of peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation to the international community between states with different social systems,” Xi Jinping said.
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As part of his European tour, which will last from May 5-10, Xi Jinping will also visit Serbia and Hungary in addition to France.
