French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday asked the European Union and its member states to have a coordinated approach to their political and economic ties with China.
In a joint media appearance with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Macron said Europe had often approached China in a scattered manner.
Both leaders met at the Great Hall of the People during the French President's first official visit to China and discussed bilateral, European and international cooperation, Efe news reported.
Macron insisted that he had asked the EU to decide the strategic sectors that must be protected from foreign investment and assured Xi that this was not directed at China but aimed at protecting the sovereignty of the European countries, in the same way that China prohibits or restricts foreign investment in several sectors of its economy.
He said he discussed differences regarding human rights and freedoms during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, emphasizing that the goal was to achieve balanced cooperation between the two countries in the face of France's large trade deficit with China.
During Macron's visit, a business forum in which 15 companies from each country participated was held and 20 cooperation agreements in sectors including aeronautics, energy, environment, innovation and culture were signed.
Macron, who arrived in China on Monday, is scheduled to end his first official visit to the Asian country on Wednesday with a discussion on climate change at a scientific military institution in Beijing.
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