Xi Jinping arrives in Europe. He wants to improve economic relations with the EU

This will be Xi Jinping's first visit to Europe since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which the People's Republic of China has not condemned.

Xi Jinping in Europe

Xi is scheduled to fly to Paris on Sunday, where he will meet French President Emmanuel Macron. The talks will concern economic cooperation and international security. In France, the Chinese leader will also meet with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

According to Lin Jian, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi Jinping's trip to Europe “will bring stability to the development of Sino-European relations and make new contributions to world peace and stability.”

On Tuesday, Xi will visit Serbia, where he will meet with President Aleksandar Vucic. On Wednesday, he will travel to Hungary, where he will meet Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

China wants to improve relations with the EU

Xi's visit to Europe aims to strengthen relations between China and the EU. China is the EU's largest trading partner, but relations between the two blocs have deteriorated in recent years over a variety of issues including human rights and environmental protection.

“China would like to use this meeting as an opportunity to improve the strategic, constructive and mutually beneficial nature of China-EU relations,” added a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to some commentators, the choice of Serbia and Hungary as the target countries of Xi Jinping's visit to Europe is not accidental. The PRC's leader is said to be primarily interested in maintaining relations with countries that also pursue pro-Russian policies. Commentators add that China's contacts with these two countries may lead to deepening divisions on the Old Continent.