Xiplomacy: Xi on cooperation with Germany, France to tackle COVID-19 pandemic, climate change

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping has, on various occasions, called for strengthening cooperation with Germany and France in jointly tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and other global issues.

Here are some highlights of his remarks on China's cooperation with Germany and France.

April 7, 2021

Xi held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

-- China stands ready to work with the EU to ensure the success of a series of important political agendas for the next stage through consultation, deepen and expand practical cooperation across the board, strengthen communication on climate change and other global governance issues, and jointly practice multilateralism, Xi said.

-- Vaccines are used to prevent diseases and save lives, he said, stressing that China opposes the politicization of vaccines or "vaccine nationalism," and stands ready to work with Germany and the international community as a whole to promote fair and reasonable vaccine distribution, support and help developing countries to obtain vaccines, and contribute to humankind's common fight against the pandemic for an early victory.

Feb 25, 2021

Xi held a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.

-- Xi said that China and France should continue to champion multilateralism, and inspire global efforts to uphold equity and justice, coordination and cooperation, as well as openness and inclusiveness, so as to make due contributions to achieving an early victory in humanity's fight against COVID-19 and promoting world peace and development.

China, he said, has offered COVID-19 vaccine aid to more than 50 developing countries, and stands ready to work with France to support the World Health Organization's role in international cooperation against the pandemic, and actively participate in the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative and the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility.

Dec 30, 2020

A meeting was held between Xi and Merkel, Macron, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen via video link.

-- Xi called for coordinated actions of pandemic response to ensure the equal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as global public goods, especially to make sure the move benefits developing countries.

-- Xi called for speeding up green development, urging the two sides to give full play to their high-level dialogue mechanism on environment and climate, and give mutual support to each other in hosting international conferences on biodiversity, climate change, and conservation of nature.

Sept 14, 2020

Xi co-hosted a China-Germany-EU leaders' meeting in Beijing via video link with Merkel, whose country was holding the EU's rotating presidency, Michel and von der Leyen.

-- Xi pointed out the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating changes unseen in a century, and mankind is standing at a new crossroad faced with multiple common challenges. It is only more imperative for China and the EU, as two major forces, markets and civilizations, to firmly grasp the general trend of mutual support and united cooperation in face of such situations, unswervingly promote the sound and stable development of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, to inject more positive energy into COVID-19 response efforts, economic recovery and championing justice, Xi said.

-- "The two sides should forge China-EU green partnerships," Xi said, adding that the two sides need to participate constructively in the global multilateral process of tackling climate change and protecting global biodiversity, support each other in running the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow next year (2021) and promoting the 15th Conference of the Parties of the convention on biodiversity in Kunming to achieve positive results, and contribute to global sustainable development.

June 6, 2020

Xi held a phone conversation with Macron.

-- Xi stressed that China and France have maintained high-level strategic coordination since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak. Noting that the spread of the coronavirus has not been effectively contained globally, Xi said that solidarity and cooperation are the right way forward.

The two countries, he added, should promote joint research, support international cooperation in vaccine and drug research and development, step up efforts to implement the consensus reached at the 73rd World Health Assembly, and enhance support for the World Health Organization.

-- He said China is pleased with the progress achieved in EU integration and stands ready to strengthen strategic cooperation with the EU, advance major political agendas between the two sides, support multilateralism, and jointly tackle such global challenges as public health, climate change and biodiversity, so as to work for sound and steady development of China-EU relations.