French Foreign Min Seeks To Smooth Relations Ahead Of EU-China Summit

(MNI) London - French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met with Premier Li Qiang and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing earlier today in a meeting that, while ostensibly focused on the security situation in the Middle East and seeking to encourage student exchanges and tourism, will have been seen as an opportunity to smooth relations between China and the wider EU ahead of the China-EU Summit taking place in Beijing 7-8 Dec.

• Colonna stated that "With China, we are working to find answers to global climate, biodiversity and debt challenges, and to deepen and rebalance our economic relationship." A Chinese Foreign Ministry spox also confirmed a temporary exemption from visa requirements for visitors from EU members France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain in a move seen as a signal from Beijing of an effort to improve links (as well as boost inward tourism).
• The EU-China Summit will see the first in-person bilateral between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Presidents of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and European Council Charles Michel since 2019.
• EU-China relations have been strained of late amid an EU probe into Chinese electric vehicle subsidies that Beijing has labeled 'protectionist'. Von der Leyen in particular has been seen as a China hawk, consistently backing a strategy of economic 'de-risking'of EU supply chains.