China worried about Macron's visit to India; 'Relations with France will be strengthened', says Xi Jinping

BEIJING: After French President Emmanuel Macron visited India, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China-France relations would take a new turn. Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest at India's 75th Republic Day celebrations.

During his visit to India, Modi and Macron discussed matters such as strengthening ties in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region and creating a defence road map between the two countries. China's announcement came after this. Macron's visit to India coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France.

"China and France should jointly open the path of peace, security, prosperity and progress for human development. China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations. The 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations is seen as an opportunity to uphold the basic principles and build a new foundation between the two countries. We are ready to work with Macron to further strengthen the strategic partnership between China and France," Xi said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the country will import the best services and products from France.

China is cautiously watching India become France's main defence partner as the US and the European Union make efforts to defend China by targeting India. Strengthening India-France ties in the Indian Ocean is also putting China on the defensive.