Xi Jinping is going to visit Europe

Last Updated on May 5, 2024 3:09 am

Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Europe for the first time in 5 years. He will visit France, Hungary and Serbia next week. His decision comes amid tensions over EU anti-subsidy investigations, espionage and Moscow’s support for the Russia-Ukraine war.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported this news on Saturday, citing the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese President will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris next Monday. Macron has long urged Xi Jinping to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine-Russia war. On the same day, he will also meet the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Abigail Vaselier, director of international relations at Merix, a German think tank company focused on China, said that China’s demands are quite clear. According to him, Xi Jinping’s visit is to lobby against the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation and focus on stabilizing bilateral relations.

Besides, there are bans and restrictions on Chinese products in the European market. Vasellier commented that it is not possible for China to carry these restrictions for a long time. Besides, China has recently been accused of increasing espionage in European countries.

For these reasons, analysts consider Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe to be significant. After his trip to Paris, Xi Jinping will also meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, known as China’s closest ally in Europe. Then he will go to Serbia.