French foreign minister meets with his Chinese counterpart ahead of Macron-Xi Jinping meeting

 French foreign minister Stéphane Séjourné met with his counterpart Wang Yi in the Chinese capital. The meeting between the two foreign ministers comes ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's planned visit to France, Euronews reports.

According to the report, Stéphane Séjourné largely echoed positions that have been laid out by European leaders. European officials have expressed concern that a flood of low-priced Chinese-made electric vehicles could disrupt production and displace jobs in Europe.

Séjourné posted on X that the two leaders discussed "the desire to strengthen and rebalance our economic relations."

On the topical issue of Ukraine, he said France expects China, as a major country, to pass on clear messages to Russia. China has a different stance on the war, with its support for Ukraine unclear, the report adds.

Séjourné said France is determined to maintain a close dialogue with China to contribute toward finding a path to a lasting peace in Ukraine.