CCTV: The Foreign Ministry has just announced President Xi Jinping’s upcoming state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary. Could you share with us the program and China’s expectation for the visits?
Lin Jian: The visits will be Chinese president’s first trip to Europe in the past nearly five years. They are vitally important for China’s relations with France, Serbia, Hungary and the EU at large, and will provide new impetus for global peace and development.
France is the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with the People’s Republic of China. Our relations have long been at the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Macron, bilateral relations have maintained a sound momentum of growth. The two countries have had effective strategic communication and fruitful practical cooperation, deepened people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and engaged in sound communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.
During the visit, President Xi will hold talks with President Macron to have in-depth exchange of views on China-France relations, China-EU relations and international and regional hotspots of mutual interest. The two presidents will also hold events somewhere other than Paris. The visit will be President Xi’s second state visit to France after five years and take place during the 60th anniversary year of China-France diplomatic ties, which gives the visit special meaning as an important opportunity to build on past achievements and guide the future for bilateral ties. China looks forward to working with France through this visit to carry forward our good tradition, embrace the future, and further enhance political mutual trust, solidarity and cooperation, so that we can jointly elevate our comprehensive strategic partnership, inject impetus to a sound and stable China-EU relationship, and make new contribution to global peace, stability, and development.
Serbia is China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe. Our two countries have nurtured an iron-clad friendship. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Vučić, China-Serbia relations have enjoyed robust growth. The two countries firmly support each other on issues of core interests and major concerns, and enjoy solid political mutual trust. The two sides have had fruitful high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and close coordination in the multilateral arena. To further deepen China-Serbia relations is in the fundamental and long-term interest of both countries and peoples, and conducive to upholding international justice and fairness and keeping the region and the world peaceful and stable.
During the visit, President Xi will hold talks with President Vučić for in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. They will discuss an upgrade of the China-Serbia relationship and chart the future course for bilateral relations. President Xi Jinping’s visit to Serbia will be his second visit to the country in eight years, which will mark an important milestone for strengthening and elevating China-Serbia ties. China looks forward to working with Serbia and taking this visit as an opportunity to further cement our iron-clad friendship, deepen political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation to open a new historic chapter for bilateral relations and make greater contribution to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Hungary is an important country in Central and Eastern Europe and China’s important partner in Belt and Road cooperation and China-CEEC cooperation. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Hungary relations have maintained robust growth. Our two countries have had close high-level exchanges, deepened political mutual trust, made fruitful and solid progress in cooperation in various fields, and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. As each other’s comprehensive strategic partners, China and Hungary are both focused on development endeavors suited to our respective national conditions. To deepen traditional friendship and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation is in the mutual interest of both countries and serves the peace, stability and prosperity of the region and beyond. The fact that President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán jointly invited President Xi Jinping to visit Hungary shows how much Hungary values and looks forward to this visit.
During the visit, President Xi Jinping will meet with President Tamás Sulyok and hold talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to have in-depth exchange of views on China-Hungary relations and issues of mutual interest. This year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Hungary diplomatic ties. This milestone visit will elevate bilateral relations to a new height, open a new chapter in China-Hungary friendship and cooperation, inject impetus to China-EU relations and provide elements of stability and positive energy to a turbulent world.