Xi Jinping Talks with Macron... "France's Claim of 'Strategic Autonomy' Is Right"

"Cooperation with Europe in Eco-friendly, Science and Technology, and Medical Fields"
Macron "China Must Lift Sanctions Against Europe"
France Distrusts US Due to AUKUS Alliance... Likely to Seek Balance in Relations with China

Chinese President Xi Jinping [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized Europe's strategic autonomy during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on the 26th.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on the 27th, President Xi said during the call with President Macron the previous day, "Several major recent international events demonstrate that France's advocacy for the European Union (EU)'s strategic autonomy is justified."

French President Emmanuel Macron [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

President Xi also stated, "China and Europe should enhance mutual trust through continuous high-level communication, reduce misjudgments, properly manage and control differences, and strengthen the political leadership of China-Europe relations."

He further emphasized the necessity of cooperation between China and Europe in fields such as digital technology, environmental friendliness, scientific and technological innovation, and healthcare.

According to the ?lys?e Palace, President Macron, as the head of the EU Council Presidency in the first half of next year, stressed that Europe and China must maintain a balance in terms of market access.

Additionally, he requested the lifting of China's coercive measures against EU member states and the European Parliament that raised concerns about human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and urged compliance with the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.

He also encouraged China to send a clear signal of commitment to addressing climate change by presenting a coal phase-out target ahead of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).

The two leaders also discussed issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover, and the Iranian nuclear issue, according to the ?lys?e Palace.

This call took place just four days after U.S. President Joe Biden and President Macron spoke on the 22nd.

China has been striving to establish post-Merkel relations with Europe, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was evaluated as having taken a balanced approach between the U.S. and China, is soon to retire.

Meanwhile, Australia recently joined AUKUS (the security partnership between the U.S., UK, and Australia), agreeing to receive nuclear-powered submarine technology from the U.S. and UK, and canceled its diesel submarine contract with France. France strongly protested, saying it was "stabbed in the back," which increased distrust toward the U.S.

In this context, President Xi's emphasis on Europe's strategic autonomy to President Macron is interpreted as a message not to join the U.S.'s pressure policy against China and simultaneously a message seeking improvement in China-Europe relations.