Lianbo｜Looking at President Xi’s European trip from a “high-dimensional” perspective

Broadcast: From May 5 to 10, 2024, President Xi Jinping was invited to pay state visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary.

For five days and six nights, President Xi visited three countries and four places and participated in more than 30 activities. He achieved the re-consolidation of China-France relations, the further strengthening of China-Serbia relations, the further improvement of China-Hungary relations, and the relaunch of China-EU cooperation.

The “Belt and Road Initiative” is China’s open platform for economic cooperation with countries around the world, and it is also a bridge for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between countries. Today, the “One Belt, One Road” initiative has once again closely connected Europe with China.

May 5, 2024, the last day of the May Day holiday. At the Jinhua South Railway Station of Jindong District, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, a China-Europe freight train loaded with 110 TEUs slowly set off for Hungary.

Hungary is the first European country to sign an intergovernmental cooperation document with China on jointly building the “Belt and Road”. “One Belt and One Road” is also a high-frequency word during President Xi’s trip to Hungary.

Whether he published a signed article in the "Hungarian Nation" newspaper, delivered a written speech when he arrived in Budapest, or held talks with Hungarian leaders, President Xi reviewed the fruitful results achieved by the two countries' focus on high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road". President Xi also witnessed the exchange of cooperation documents on the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” with Prime Minister Orban.

Serbia was one of the first countries to respond to the Belt and Road Initiative and is an important partner in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Just as President Xi emphasized when attending the welcome banquet hosted by Serbian President Vucic and his wife, in recent years, China and Serbia’s high-quality joint construction of the “Belt and Road” has been strong and fruitful, and has become a vivid practice of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Serbians regard the "One Belt, One Road" initiative as the "road to the future", and the E763 highway in Serbia jointly built by China and Serbia is one of the vivid cases.

This highway is the safest and fastest important channel connecting Serbia to Montenegro’s seaport. It is also a transportation artery in the Balkans. Once opened, it will accelerate the development of more regions.

As an old friend, President Xi once mentioned the "One Belt, One Road" initiative many times during his meeting with French President Macron.

Just last November, President Xi pointed out during a phone call with President Macron that China appreciated France's active participation in the third "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum.

Different from the model of jointly building the "Belt and Road" with Hungary and Serbia, China and France adopt a cooperation model of jointly developing third-party markets, which reflects the inclusiveness and non-exclusiveness of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative and contributes to the promotion of global Make important contributions to economic and trade recovery.

The high-level development of bilateral relations stems from many factors, and high-level economic and trade cooperation is undoubtedly one of the important factors.

On May 6, local time, President Xi Jinping and President Macron attended the closing ceremony of the sixth meeting of the China-France Entrepreneurs Committee in Paris and delivered an important speech.

President Xi’s visit to France coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. During this period, President Xi specially attended the closing ceremony of the sixth meeting of the China-France Entrepreneurs Committee, and high-level economic and trade cooperation became an important part of President Xi's speech.

As early as January 9, 2018, the two heads of state jointly met with business representatives attending the first meeting of the committee to encourage direct exchanges between enterprises of the two countries.

Since President Xi visited France in 2014 and the two countries launched a close and lasting comprehensive strategic partnership, the two countries have made remarkable achievements in practical cooperation in the economic and trade field. China is France's largest trading partner outside the EU, and France is China's main trading partner in the EU. In 2012, the bilateral trade volume between China and France was US$51.02 billion, and in 2023, the bilateral trade volume between China and France has reached US$78.936 billion. Currently, there are more than 2,000 French companies deeply involved in the Chinese market.

Some experts believe that pragmatic investment cooperation between enterprises of the two countries will have good effects on safeguarding the social and people's livelihood of both countries, promoting the economic development of the two countries, tightening China-EU economic and trade relations, and promoting the recovery of the world economy.

Hungary has been my country’s largest investment destination in Central and Eastern Europe for many years in a row. In recent years, the economic and trade relations between the two countries have developed vigorously and practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

When President Xi met with reporters together with Prime Minister Orban, he emphasized that "the two sides will strengthen the docking of development strategies" and "expand cooperation in emerging industries, cultivate new productive forces, and empower the economic and social development of both countries."

Take the automobile industry, one of the pillar industries of the Hungarian economy, as an example. Since China has the advantages of advanced technology, vast market and high maturity of the industrial chain in the global new energy industry, the new energy industry chain including electric vehicles and power batteries has become China's new energy industry. The focus of business investment in Hungary. This will not only help Hungary’s energy transformation, but also inject new impetus into its industrial development.

In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between China and Serbia has also been fruitful, bringing huge benefits to the two peoples. Bilateral trade between China and Serbia continues to grow, jumping from US$596 million in 2016 to US$4.35 billion in 2023. China has become Serbia’s largest source of investment, largest source of imports, and second largest trading partner.

In addition, Serbia is China’s first free trade partner in Central and Eastern Europe. In July this year, the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement is about to take effect. This will not only pave the way for Serbian companies and products to enter the world's major consumer markets more conveniently, but also drive more Chinese and European investors to invest in Serbia and open up new opportunities for Chinese companies. Serbia, Central and Eastern Europe and European markets offer a more diverse future.

During his second visit to Europe after five years, President Xi reached a number of consensuses with the leaders of the three countries and announced a series of measures.

Europe is an important pole in the multi-polar world. In the current international situation of increasing turmoil, China-EU relations are related to world peace, stability and prosperity.

Building each other into key partners in economic and trade cooperation, priority partners in scientific and technological cooperation, and trusted partners in production and supply chain cooperation will help China and the EU to pragmatically promote cooperation, effectively manage differences, and reach new consensus. , far-reaching impact on the world.

——Adhering to the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations and continuing traditional friendship

The "hard support" of cooperation in various fields is the foundation for the high-level development of bilateral relations.

During President Xi's trip to France, the two heads of state had long-term and high-level strategic communication. The two sides issued four joint statements on the situation in the Middle East, artificial intelligence and global governance, biodiversity and oceans, and agricultural exchanges and cooperation. Nearly 20 bilateral cooperation documents were signed.

As each other's "special friends", President Xi and President Macron agreed to uphold the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations and deepen mutual trust and cooperation between China and France. Entering the next decade, we will jointly promote China-France relations to achieve new and greater achievements.

On May 8, local time, the two heads of state jointly signed the "Joint Statement on Deepening and Upgrading the China-Serbia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a China-Serbia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era."

On May 8, China and Serbia confirmed to deepen and enhance their comprehensive strategic partnership and build a China-Serbia community with a shared future from a higher starting point. This is the sublimation of China-Serbia's iron-clad friendship and a vivid interpretation of President Xi's words of "continuing to stay together through thick and thin and share a common destiny."

When meeting reporters together with President Vučić, President Xi announced China’s first six pragmatic measures to support the construction of a community with a shared future between China and Serbia in the new era, opening a new chapter in the history of China-Serbia relations.

Hungary was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. This year coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary. Relations between the two countries have entered the best period in history, setting a model for a new type of international relations.

In the signed article, President Xi explained the relationship between the two countries as "good friends who show sincerity", "good partners who cooperate and win-win" and "good friends who learn from each other", and advocated that China-Hungary relations should be jointly led into the "golden channel".

"Good friends are more valuable than gold." Taking the opportunity of establishing China-Hungary all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, it will surely inject new and strong impetus into the cooperation between the two countries.

Inheriting friendship, enhancing mutual trust, boosting confidence, and opening up the future, President Xi's trip to Europe not only demonstrates the aggressiveness of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, but also serves as a responsible role for China to become more internationally influential, innovative and morally inspiring. A vivid portrayal of a great country.