Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary highlights mutually beneficial cooperation and has opened a new door for the development of China-Europe relations, said a scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Xi is on state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5 to 10, which is his first trip to Europe in the past nearly five years.
Xi's trip is expected to enhance bilateral relations with the three countries and boost their mutually beneficial cooperation, said Zhao Chen, director of European Diplomacy Department at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"President Xi Jinping's visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary have opened a new door for China-Europe relations from a strategic standpoint. In the turbulent world, Europe has got entangled in significant geopolitical issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestine-Israel issue. During President Xi Jinping's meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in France, they engaged in close communication on these geopolitical issues. They reached consensus on many issues, especially on the Palestine-Israel issue," said Zhao.
"China-Europe economic and trade cooperation has always served as a stabilizer and ballast for bilateral relations, which is the most solid and reliable foundation for their ties. During President Xi Jinping's visits to France and Serbia, he reaffirmed that concept. About 20 bilateral cooperation documents were signed between China and France," said Zhao.
In Belgrade, President Xi and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic signed a joint statement on building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, making Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China.
Zhao said the joint statement has turned China-Serbia ties into a role model for China and Central, Eastern European Countries.
Looking ahead, Zhao said the Chinese president's visit has set the right tone for taking China-EU relations to a higher level and building the path toward healthy and sustainable development of bilateral ties in the future.