Xi’s trip to inject new vitality into China-Europe ties
By People’s Daily
Chinese
President Xi Jinping’s visits to Italy, Monaco, and France
bear historic significance for the development of relations between China and
the three countries, and will inject new vitality to the development of China-Europe
relations in the new era.
Scheduled from
Mar.21 to 26, Xi’s visit to Europe will be the first
overseas trip in 2019 by the Chinese head of state, also the top leader of the
Communist Party of China (CPC).
As a Chinese
poem goes, “Bosom friends make distance disappear”, Xi’s visits to
these countries are bound to add new momentum to joint construction of the Belt
and Road Initiative and make new contributions to the peace and development of
the world.
“A partnership forged with the right approach defies geographical
distance; it is thicker than glue and stronger than metal and stone.” This ancient
Chinese saying can be regarded as a perfect depiction of the deep traditional
friendship between China and Italy, Monaco, and France, which have generated
widespread great stories in the long history of friendly relations between
China and the three countries.
As early as
over 2,000 years ago, China and ancient Rome were already connected by the Silk
Road. The famous explorer Marco Polo’s Travels roused the first wave of “China fever” among European
countries.
In the royal
palace of Monaco, Chinese-style furniture, stone lions, and pavilions reflect
the history of the friendly ties between Monaco and China. French Enlightenment
thinkers like Voltaire showed strong interest in studying Confucianism, and at
the beginning of the 20th century, many CPC leaders went to study in France.
During World
War II, French doctor Jean Augustin Bussiere risked his life and transported by
bicycle precious medicines to the anti-Japanese base areas.
Friendships are
not chosen by chance, but a result of like-minded people. In the new era,
high-level exchanges are important in guiding and promoting the efforts to
consolidate traditional friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust, carry
forward the traditional friendship from generation to generation, and deepen
the development of comprehensive cooperation. This time, Xi’s visits will
certainly bring new momentum to the traditional friendship between China and
the three European countries.
This year marks
the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Italy comprehensive
strategic partnership, while next year the two countries will celebrate the
50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
Xi’s visit to
Italy, which is the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Italy in nearly
10 years, will create a new chapter in bilateral ties, enabling the two nations
to build more on past achievements and strive for new progress.
Over the past
24 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and
Monaco, the two nations have enjoyed win-win cooperation while adhering to the
principle of mutual respect and treating each other as equals.
In recent
years, China and Monaco have carried out in-depth cooperation in such fields as
ecological and environmental protection, coping with climate change, clean
energy, promoting green and low carbon development, and protection of wild
animals, setting a model for friendly exchanges between big and small
countries.
Xi’s visit to
Monaco, which also marks the first visit by a Chinese president to Monaco, will
usher in a new era of the development of bilateral relations between the two
countries.
France was the
first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations with China. Over
the past 55 years, China-France relationship has become a special one among
major-country relationships in the world, and it has always been at the
forefront of China’s relations with major developed
countries in the West.
“Over the past 50 years, our two countries and peoples have
followed the principle of independence, mutual understanding, strategic vision
and win-win cooperation in growing our bilateral ties,” President Xi
said at the Meeting Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of
China-France Diplomatic Relations in 2014.
The Chinese
President’s description of China-France ties perfectly revealed the lasting
driving force behind the two countries’ efforts to get closer to each other
and carry out sincere cooperation. This time, his visit to France is bound to
inaugurate a brighter future of the bilateral ties.
Heart-to-heart
communication makes lasting friendship. Under the guidance of high-level
exchanges, people-to-people ties between China and Italy, Monaco, and France
have been constantly intensified, cementing the popular will foundation for the
everlasting strong traditional friendship between China and the three
countries.
The close bond
and friendship between the peoples will further promote and inject new vitality
to the friendly exchanges and the traditional friendship between China and
Italy, Monaco, and France.
Friendship is
mutual trust deeply rooted in heart. Indeed, friendship is based on trust and
will further enhance the trust between two friends.
We firmly
believe that President Xi’s historic visits to the three
nations will elevate China’s relations with Europe, especially
the three countries, onto a new level, and open a broader space for the above
relations.
There’s no doubt that
Xi’s visits will further enrich friendly exchanges between China and
the three European countries, deliver better and more benefits to people of
China and Europe, and write new stories of China-Europe friendly relations in
the new era.
Xi’s trip to inject new vitality into China-Europe ties
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