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Exclusive | China asks European leaders to meet Xi in November. But will they accept?
- The trips would mark a return to Beijing for Western European leaders following almost three years of a zero-Covid policy that has prevented in-person diplomacy
- The proposed date would likely be right after the 20th party congress, expected to be held in October.
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Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
Top European leaders have been invited to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in November but have yet to decide whether to accept.
Invitations have been sent to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, according to a senior source familiar with the situation.
The proposed date would likely be right after the 20th party congress, expected to be held in October.
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The trips would coincide with the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali that month and would mark a return to China for Western European leaders, following almost three years of a zero-Covid policy that has put a block on in-person, in-China diplomacy.
A “heated debate” is ongoing in Paris on how to deal with the invitation, but leaders of Europe’s most powerful nations are known to favour dialogue with China on issues such as Ukraine, food security, and economic relations.
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