2023 France–China Summit on:
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In contrast to Macron's warm reception,
The 2023 France–China summit was a three-day
2023 o232"> Macron meets Chinese President state visit
A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state, head of a sovereign state, sovereign country (or Governor-general, representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or ...
by Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
, the President of France
The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the po ...
, to China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
from April 5 to 7, 2023. It was Macron's first visit to China since the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and his third since taking office in 2017. He was accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 CEOs and met with members of the French business community in China. He also met with Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...
, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party
The general secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party ( zh, s=中国共产党中央委员会总书记, p=Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì Zǒngshūjì) is the leader of the Chinese Communist Part ...
and President of China
The president of China, officially the president of the People's Republic of China, is the List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China, state representative of the China, People's Republic of China. On its own, it is a Fig ...
, and Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
, the President of the European Commission
The president of the European Commission, also known as president of the College of Commissioners is the Head of government, head of the European Commission, the Executive (government), executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president ...
, to discuss various issues. By recalling the solid foundation of China-France relations and the friendship between the two peoples, the two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations, China-EU relations and major international and regional issues, especially the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
and China's potential role as a mediator between Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and the West
West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
. The visit was seen as an attempt to "reconnect" with China after three years of its zero-Covid policy
Zero-COVID, also known as COVID-Zero and "Find, Test, Trace, Isolate, and Support" (FTTIS), was a public health policy implemented by some countries, especially China, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Anna Llupià, Rodríguez-Giralt, Anna Fité, Lol ...
and despite Beijing's increasing benevolence to Russia in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
.
Background
Macron had visited China twice before, in January 2018 and November 2019. During his first visit, he announced a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between France and China and signed several agreements on trade, climate change, nuclear energy and culture. He also presented Xi with a horse named Vesuvius as a gift. During his second visit, he attended theChina International Import Expo
The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a trade fair held in autumn annually since 2018 in Shanghai, China. It is the world's first import-themed national-level expo. It will feature exhibitions of multiple countries and businesses and the ...
in Shanghai and met with Xi in Beijing. He also invited Xi to visit France for the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2024. However, since then, the relations between China and France, as well as between China and the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, have been strained by several factors. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
in early 2020, which was first identified in China, led to Beijing effectively shutting its borders to travel and imposing strict quarantine measures on incoming visitors. This hampered the exchange of people and goods between China and other countries, including France.
Visit
Beijing
Former French Prime MinisterJean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin (; born 3 August 1948) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005 under President Jacques Chirac.
He resigned after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Un ...
, President of the Constitutional Council Laurent Fabius
Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician. A member of the Socialist Party (France), Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. Fabius was 37 years old when he was a ...
, a number of ministers and parliamentarians, as well as more than 60 heads of large enterprises and more than 20 cultural figures will accompany the delegation.China News Service
China News Service (CNS; ) is the second largest state news agency in China, after Xinhua News Agency. China News Service was formerly run by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, which was absorbed into the United Front Work Department of the ...Xi Jinping
Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...
on April 6 and holds talks with new Chinese Premier Li Qiang
Li Qiang (; born July 1959) is a Chinese politician who has been serving as the eighth and current premier of China since March 2023. He has been elevated to the second-ranking member on the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist ...
. During the meeting, Li highlighted that China is willing to work with France to push the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level. Macron stated that France supports China's development and is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in the fields of trade, agriculture, aviation, finance, nuclear energy, innovation, tourism and humanities.
Cultural exchanges were also an important part of Macron's trip. China and France have discussed they were willing to convene a new round of meetings of the mechanism for high-level cultural exchanges at an early date. Macron has invited French director Jean-Jacques Annaud
Jean-Jacques Annaud (; born 1 October 1943) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), ''The Bear (1988 film), ...
, actress Gong Li
Gong Li ( zh, s=巩俐, t=鞏俐; born 31 December 1965) is a Chinese-born Singaporean actress. She is regarded as one of the best actresses in China today, known for her versatility and naturalistic performances. She starred in three of the ...
and her husband, French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the Electronic music, electronic, Ambient music, ambient and New-age music, new-age genres, and is known for organising out ...
and other cultural figures to accompany him on his visit to China. On the day of his arrival in Beijing, Macron inaugurated the opening ceremony of the "Sino-French Cultural Spring" festival. He appeared on stage with Huang Bo
Huang Bo ( zh, c=黄渤, p=Huáng Bó; born August 26, 1974) is a Chinese actor, film director, singer and the current vice-chairman of China Film Association. He is the winner of multiple Chinese film awards, and ranked 34th on Forbes China ...
, the festival's publicity ambassador.
In contrast to Macron's warm reception, European Commission President
The president of the European Commission, also known as president of the College of Commissioners is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). The president of the Commission leads a cabinet of commis ...
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
, who also visited China, was reportedly given a cold reception. On the afternoon of April 6, President Xi Jinping met with Von der Leyen at the Great Hall of the People. Xi stated that China and the EU should strengthen communication, establish correct mutual perceptions and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. Von der Leyen said the European Union totally disagreed with the idea of "delinking and breaking the chain" and hoped to strengthen communication and dialogue with the Chinese side and restart the three dialogue mechanisms. On the issue of Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
raised by von der Leyen, Xi emphasized that it was at the core of China's interests, and "anyone who expects China to compromise and back down on the Taiwan issue is delusional, and will only be lifting a rock and hitting his own foot."
Guangzhou
On April 7, President Emmanuel Macron visitedSun Yat-sen University
Sun Yat-sen University (; SYSU) is a public university in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and co-funded by the Ministry of Education, SASTIND, and Guangdong Provincial Government. The university is p ...
, which became the first in Southern China to launch a French department in 1957. President Macron was warmly welcomed and entertained by the faculty and students.
On the afternoon of April 7, Xi held an informal meeting with Macron in Songyuan
Songyuan ( zh, s=松原 , p=Sōngyuán) is a prefecture-level city in west-central Jilin province, China.
History
Even though the present city of Songyuan is predominantly modern in appearance, the area has a long history dating back to the N ...
, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. Xi briefed Macron on the essential features and core tenets of Chinese-style modernization. Macron said that true friendship was mutual understanding and mutual respect. He indicated that France appreciated China's consistent support for France and Europe to adhere to independence, autonomy and unity, and was willing to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, strengthen technical and industrial cooperation, open up bilateral markets, and strengthen scientific and technological cooperation, including in artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
.
On the evening of April 7, the two sides issued the Joint Declaration of the People's Republic of China and the French Republic, which included language on trade, nuclear war, the war in Ukraine, the food crisis, climate change, and the multilateral trading system.
Outcomes
French business leaders, includingAirbus
Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...
and Alstom
Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
officials, accompanied Macron to the summit in China.
Plans for a new Airbus assembly line in China were announced by Macron during the summit. Airbus will add this second assembly line for A320 narrow-body aircraft at its plant in Tianjin, producing up to 75 A320 NEO family aircraft per month by 2026. In addition, China has purchased 150 A320 NEO aircraft and 10 A350
The Airbus A350 is a flight length, long-range, wide-body twin-engine airliner developed and produced by Airbus.
The initial A350 design proposed in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the Airbu ...
aircraft.
Électricité de France
Électricité de France SA (; ), commonly known as EDF, is a French multinational corporation, multinational electric utility company owned by the government of France. Headquartered in Paris, with €139.7 billion in sales in 2023, EDF ope ...
has renewed its global cooperation agreement with China General Nuclear Power Group
China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) (), formerly China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (), is a Chinese state-owned energy corporation under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). , CGN i ...
, which has been in force since 2007, covering the design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. The company has a joint venture with CGNPC to build the world's first European Pressurized Water Reactor
A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan, India and Canada).
In a PWR, water is used both as ...
Generation III nuclear power plant in Taishan, Guangdong
Taishan (), postal map romanization, alternately romanization of Chinese, romanized in Cantonese as Toishan or Toisan, in local dialect as Hoisan, and formerly known as Xinning or Sunning (), is a county-level city in the southwest of Guangd ...
.
CMA CGM
The Compagnie maritime d'affrètement - Compagnie générale maritime or CMA CGM is a French shipping and logistics company founded in 1978 by Jacques Saadé.
The name is an acronym of two predecessor companies, Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètemen ...
has worked with COSCO
China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) was a former shipping corporation from 1961 to 2016, owned by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, State Council of China. The company merged with China Shipping Group, China Shipping Grou ...
and Shanghai Port Group to develop biofuels. The company has reached new agreements in China for the supply of bio-methanol and e-methanol and signed deals to build new ships in China.
GDF SUEZ
Engie SA (stylised in all caps as ENGIE) is a French multinational electric utility company, headquartered in La Défense, Courbevoie. Its activities cover electricity generation and distribution, natural gas, nuclear power, renewable energy ...
signed a seawater desalination cooperation project with Wanhua Chemical Group
Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd. known as Wanhua Chemical and formerly Yantai Wanhua Polyurethane or Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes or Yantai Wanhua, is a Chinese listed company in chemical industry.
History
The listed company was incorporated in ...
and China Railway
China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., doing business as China Railway (CR), is the national passenger and freight railroad corporation of the China, People's Republic of China.
China Railway operates passenger and freight Rail transport in Chi ...
Shanghai Engineering Bureau Group, further expanding the cooperation between the three parties in the field of environmental protection. Alstom
Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
signed an agreement to supply electrical equipment for the Chengdu Metro
The Chengdu Metro is the rapid transit system of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, China. With the opening of Line 1 on 27 September 2010, the system has fifteen subway lines and one light rail line. It has subsequently undergone rapid expansion. ...
. L'Oreal and Alibaba
Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves".
Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational internet technology company.
Ali Baba or Alibaba may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''Ali Baba and the Forty T ...
signed a three-year strategic cooperation agreement.
Soon after the summit, on 30 June, EU leaders unveiled a "de-risking" policy towards China which scaled back their unofficial "decoupling" policy, reflecting concerns about cutting off the world's second-largest economy and the potential economic damage caused by a trade war.
See also
*2023 Brazil–China summit
The 2023 Brazil–China summit was a four-day state visit by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, to China from 11 to 14 April 2023. It was Lula's first visit to China since his third taking office in January 2023. He was accompa ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:France-China Summit, 2023 2023 conferences 2023 in international relations 2023 in Guangzhou 2023 in the European Union 2023 in France 2023 in Beijing April 2023 in China Diplomatic visits to China 2023 Summit 2023 China Summit China–European Union relations Presidency of Emmanuel Macron Xi Jinping