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March 19, 2019

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Xi to visit Italy, Monaco, France

CHINESE President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to Italy, Monaco and France from Thursday to March 26, the foreign ministry announced yesterday.

Xi was invited by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Head of State of the Principality of Monaco Albert II and French President Emmanuel Macron, the ministry said.

During his visit to Italy, Xi will hold talks with President Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, meet with Italian Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and Lower House Speaker Roberto Fico. He will exchange in-depth views on Sino-Italian, Sino-European relations as well as international and regional issues with common concern, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a news briefing yesterday.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership relations between China and Italy, said Geng, adding that bilateral relations have enjoyed sound development.

Xi’s visit to Italy will be the first in 10 years by a Chinese head of state, which will give new connotation to China-Italy ties, the spokesman said.

The visit will consolidate mutual political trust between China and Italy, deepen practical cooperation in various areas under the framework of the Belt and Road, boost people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, promote the Sino-Italian comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, and make contributions to Sino-EU relations as well as world peace and development, said Geng.

Xi will hold talks with Prince Albert II during his visit to Monaco and exchange views with him on issues of common concern such as the development of China-Monaco relations in the new era. Noting that it will be the first time for Chinese president to visit Monaco, Geng said the visit is of historical significance to bilateral relations.

“We stand ready to work with Monaco to further deepen mutual political trust as well as communication and cooperation in various fields to promote constant progress of China-Monaco relationship,” Geng said, stressing the two sides have set a model of friendship and common development between big and small countries.

In France, Xi will hold talks with President Macron, meet with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and the speakers of the Senate and the National Assembly.

Hailing that France is the first major country in the Western hemisphere to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China, Geng said China-France relations have always been at the forefront of Sino-EU and Sino-Western relations.

The China-France relationship has maintained a solid momentum of development with frequent high-level exchanges, new progress and breakthroughs in pragmatic cooperation, and close communication and coordination on major issues, including safeguarding multilateralism, improving global governance and addressing climate change, Geng said.

Xi’s visit will be the first state visit by a Chinese head of state to France in five years, Geng said, stressing that this year also marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, giving the visit special significance.




 

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