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Xi Jinping’s Visit to France, Serbia and Hungary
President Xi Jinping visited France, Serbia and Hungary from 5 to 10 May 2024. He visited Europe after a gap of five years, and the countries have been chosen depending on their relevance to China. This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France and 75 years of diplomatic relations with Hungary. In Serbia, it marks the 25th year of the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.[i] The paper aims to analyse Xi Jinping’s visit to the three European countries and the major takeaways.
France
President Xi Jinping met French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in France. They discussed various issues of global importance and deliberated on the Ukraine issue and trade. Macron expressed concern over the ongoing war and emphasised that there cannot be security in Europe without security in Ukraine. He said, “We are at a historical turning point where threats are at an unprecedented level and the risks of global fragmentation are considerable”. He also denounced the trade practices of China.[ii] Macron took Xi Jinping to the Pyrenees Mountains, a mountainous area in southern France that is close to the home of Macron's maternal grandmother.[iii] It signifies that Macron is trying to build a personal bonhomie with Xi Jinping.[iv]
Xi Jinping called on France to resist a “new cold war” or bloc confrontation as the European Union aligns with the United States over security risks and trade tensions.[v] He also reiterated European Strategic Autonomy (to reduce European reliance on US protection for its security) as a possible route to a more multipolar world and a less US-dominated global order.[vi] Also, both leaders called for a worldwide ceasefire during the Olympic Games, which will start in July. Macron advocated making the Paris Games “a diplomatic moment of peace” and respecting the Olympic Truce.
Ursula von der Leyen made direct remarks on China’s trade practices. She pointed towards China’s “market distortion practices” and massive subsidies for the electric vehicle and steel industries. Recently, the issue of overcapacity and dumping underpriced products into the European Union and United States markets has become a bone of contention in China-EU relations. At the trilateral meeting (Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen), Ursula von der Leyen indicated that Europe “will not waver from making tough decisions needed to protect its economy and security.” However, Xi Jinping ruled out that there is no such thing as “China’s overcapacity problem”.
China and France signed 18 cooperation agreements and released four joint declarations.[vii] The agreements included green development, aviation, agri-food, commerce, and people-to-people exchanges. The joint declarations reflect shared priorities and areas of collaboration.[viii] In the French leg of his Europe tour, Xi Jinping’s objective was to engage with Europe so as to highlight the need for Europe to work with all global players and not be identified solely with the United States.
Serbia
Xi Jinping’s move stop from 7th to 8th May 2024 was Serbia. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 1999 airstrike on the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade.[ix] Xi Jinping wrote in the Politika that NATO had “flagrantly bombed the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia”, warning that China would “never allow such tragic history to repeat itself”.[x] Xi Jinping, however, did not visit the site of the former embassy. This is interpreted as a potentially positive sign that China is trying to avoid inflaming US-China tensions.[xi]
In 2016, China and Serbia established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Xi Jinping’s visit. This is his second visit in eight years to Serbia. At the press conference, Xi Jinping said, “Eight years ago, Serbia became China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in the Central and Eastern European region, and today Serbia is the first European country to build a community of destiny with China, fully reflecting the strategic, special and high level of China-Serbia relations”. Serbia has been a key country in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.[xii] It has become an important hub and gateway to Europe for global infrastructure and development strategy. An agreement to deepen and elevate the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Serbia and “build a new era of a community with a shared future” was also signed between the two leaders.[xiii] In addition, six measures to support this initiative were announced.[xiv]
Hungary
Xi Jinping visited Hungary in his third and last leg of the tour, as the two countries mark the 75 years of diplomatic relations. China and Hungary decided to elevate their ties to an “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era”. Notably, China has used similar phrases to describe its relations with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Venezuela.[xv] In 2023, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attended the third Belt and Road Forum held in China.[xvi]
Major Takeaways from the Visit
The countries chosen for President Xi Jinping’s visit were symbolically significant. He chose France to smoothen its relationship and Serbia and Hungary to highlight the benefits of close, non-confrontational ties with China. It was clear that the mission was to divide and conquer. [xvii] The US envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar had mentioned that his trip was intended to drive a wedge among the European states. “We caution all of our partners and all of our interlocutors to be very aware of China’s agenda in Europe and China’s agenda with regard to the European Community.” [xviii]
Xi Jinping’s visit could be instrumental in preventing the worsening of China-Europe ties, as has happened in the US-China relations.[xix] Further, on the domestic front, the visit has demonstrated to the Chinese public that Xi Jinping is still well received in Europe.[xx]
Conclusion
Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe has opened new chapters of relationships with the visited countries and heralded a new era of renewed ties with Europe through enhanced solidarity, mutual trust and confidence. Xi Jinping successfully avoided the escalation of a trade war with Europe during his visit. Notably, the visit reflects a subtle geopolitical strategy of Chinese foreign policy.
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*Dr. Teshu Singh, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
The views expressed are personal.
[i] Key takeaways from China’s Xi European tour to France, Serbia and Hungary
Al Jazeera, 10 May 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/10/key-takeaways-from-xi-jinpings-european-tour-to-france-serbia-and-hungary (Accessed on 12 May 2024).
[ii] Sylvie Corbet, Macron puts trade and Ukraine as top priorities as China’s Xi opens European visit in France, AP News, 7 May 2024, https://apnews.com/article/china-france-xi-macron-visit-c7f48d55fd9ccb345fc6e9eda105f89b (Accessed on 10 May 2024).
[iii] Wang Wenwen in France, Hungary and Zhang Han, Xi's Footsteps: Xi's Europe trip carries forward friendship, charts the course for the future, Global Times 12 May 2024,
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1312102.shtml (Accessed on 15 May 2024).
[iv] Roger Cohen, Macron Adds a Personal Touch to His Diplomacy With China, the New York Times, 7 May 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/world/europe/macron-xi-china-france.html (Accessed on 12 May 2024).
[v] William Horobin, Samy Adghirni and Li Liu , Help us avoid a ‘new Cold War’: China's Xi Jinping to France's Macron, Business Standard, 7 May 2024, https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/help-us-avoid-a-new-cold-war-china-s-xi-jinping-to-france-s-macron-124050700329_1.html (Accessed on 10 May 2024).
[vi] Yu Jie, Xi Jinping hopes to improve EU–China relations – and drive a wedge between Europe and the US, Chatham House, https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/05/xi-jinping-hopes-improve-eu-china-relations-and-drive-wedge-between-europe-and-us (Accessed on 15 May 2024).
[vii] Diao Li, EU can be China's more valuable partner, China Daily, 5 May 2024, https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202405/10/WS663de306a31082fc043c670a.html (Accessed on 12 May 2024)
[viii] Giulia Interesse, France-China Relations: Trade, Investment, and Recent Developments, China Briefing, 15 May 2024, https://www.china-briefing.com/news/france-china-relations-trade-investment-and-recent-developments/ (Accessed on 20 May 2024)
[ix] Huaxia, Xi arrives in Belgrade for state visit to Serbia, Xinhua, 8 May 2024, https://english.news.cn/20240508/89ea25401ab9431ba550221d29aef2ea/c.html (Accessed on 11 May 2024).
[x] China’s Xi visits Serbia for talks to boost economic ties with Eastern Europe, France 24, 8 May 2024,
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240508-china-s-xi-in-serbia-for-talks-to-boost-economic-ties (Accessed on 12 May 2024).
[xi] Arthur Kaufman, Xi visits Serbia and Hungary, pushing wedge into Europe, China Digital Times, 10 May 2024, https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2024/05/xi-visits-serbia-and-hungary-pushing-wedge-into-europe/ (Accessed on 15 May 2024).
[xii] Dusan Stojanovic and Jovana Gec, China and EU-candidate Serbia sign an agreement to build a ‘shared future’, AP News, 8 May 2024, https://apnews.com/article/serbia-china-xi-jinping-visit-nato-e37b7ad0e89ac73b83e754142ce8e399
(Accessed on 10 May 2024).
[xiii] Branko Filipovic and Daria Sito-sucic, China, Serbia chart 'shared future' as Xi Jinping visits Europe, Reuters, 9 May 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/chinas-xi-jinping-visit-serbia-anniversary-1999-nato-bombing-2024-05-07/ (Accessed on 10 May 2024).
[xiv] Zhang Han, Xi, Vucic hold talks, hail evergrowing ironclad friendship, Global Times, 9 May 2024,
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1311933.shtml (Accessed on 10 May 2024).
[xv] Jennifer Rankin, Hungary rolls out red carpet for Xi in final leg of European tour, the Guardian, 9 May 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/09/hungary-rolls-out-red-carpet-for-xi-in-final-leg-of-european-tour
(Accessed on 10 May 2024).
[xvi] Arthur Kaufman, Xi visits Serbia and Hungary, pushing wedge into Europe, China Digital Times, 10 May 2024, https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2024/05/xi-visits-serbia-and-hungary-pushing-wedge-into-europe/
(Accessed on 15 May 2024).
[xvii] Arthur Kaufman, Xi visits Serbia and Hungary, pushing wedge into Europe, China Digital Times, 10 May 2024, https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2024/05/xi-visits-serbia-and-hungary-pushing-wedge-into-europe/ (Accessed on 15 May 2024).
[xviii] PTI, China and EU-candidate Serbia sign an agreement to build a "shared future", 8 May 2024, https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/international/2024/05/08/fgn70-serbia-5thld-china.html (20 May 2024)
[xix] Key takeaways from China’s Xi European tour to France, Serbia and Hungary
Al Jazeera, 10 May 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/10/key-takeaways-from-xi-jinpings-european-tour-to-france-serbia-and-hungary (Accessed on 12 May 2024).
[xx] Tara Varma, Xi’s visit exposes fault lines in European unity, Brookings, 8 May 2024,
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/xis-visit-exposes-fault-lines-in-european-unity/?utm_campaign=Brookings%20Brief&utm_medium=email&utm_content=306449269&utm_source=hs_email (Accessed on 12 May 2024).
