Beijing’s top diplomat told the French presidential adviser on Thursday he hoped Paris would promote closer China-EU relations, days before the two countries’ leaders meet.
Wang Yi told Emmanuel Bonne in a scheduled phone call he hoped “France would encourage the EU to pursue a positive and rational policy toward China” and “promote the healthy development of China–EU relations along the right track”, a foreign ministry statement said.
He noted that “the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and change” and urged deeper cooperation between the two countries.
The call came days before French President Emmanuel Macron is due to visit Beijing, where he will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Macron is expected to raise economic and trade matters, with France taking over the G7 presidency next year.
The group of industrialised democracies, of which China is not a member, is currently chaired by Canada.
Wang also urged France to abide by the One China principle, under which Beijing claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as part of its territory.
His remarks come as relations between China and Japan soured this month over comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting that Tokyo could intervene militarily if Taiwan is attacked.
Wang reiterated Beijing’s position in calling Takaichi’s remarks “provocative” and said France and China should “firmly support each other on issues involving each other’s core interests”.
China criticised France’s stance on Taiwan after Macron linked the situation in the South China Sea with the war in Ukraine.
Macron said in a speech in May that, if Russia were allowed to lay claim to Ukraine without restriction, “what could happen in Taiwan”?
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© Agence France-Presse
