The presidents of France and China agreed in a telephone conversation to strengthen trade relations between Beijing and the European Union.
‌According to Pak Sahafat News Agency, quoted by Sputnik, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he hoped the suspended EU investment agreement with China, among other commitments, to expand bilateral cooperation in economic and other fields.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the object noted during the call that ever since France took over the rotating presidency of the European Union, efforts have been made to strengthen solidarity within the bloc and to strengthen Europe’s strategic independence. He added that Beijing is ready to cooperate with France for the success of the forthcoming China-EU summit and to deepen their cooperation at various levels.
Macron also noted in the call that the turbulent international situation has favored a more comprehensive and deeper strategic partnership with China, and he is confident of the two countries’ achievements in technical, agricultural and engineering cooperation, including in the field of nuclear energy. He added that he would do everything he could to advance a positive EU agenda on China, and expressed hope that steps would be taken to ratify and implement the Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CAI) with China, which stalled last year. The purpose of the agreement is to place EU companies with their Chinese counterparts and to strengthen China’s position as a trading partner of the bloc.
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The European Parliament also approved a comprehensive investment agreement with China after Beijing boycotted 10 EU politicians, as well as diplomatic think tanks and institutions, in response to sanctions imposed on China by the United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada.
EU lawmakers have said they must lift sanctions if China wants a ratified comprehensive investment agreement, but Beijing has not backed down. However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed hope that trade relations with Europe would return to normal.
Over the past nine months, several efforts have been made to revive trade between China and the European Union. Leading diplomats from four European countries have traveled to Beijing, and China has repeatedly called on Paris and Berlin, which appear to be keen on a comprehensive investment agreement, to put the ratification back on the European Parliament’s agenda. Senior EU diplomats have also said that the China-EU summit is scheduled for April 1 online.