Photo: VCG

The European Union Chamber of Commerce said it is a positive signal that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron will visit China next week, with a number of announcements set to be made during or shortly after the visit.

The remarks came as Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that as agreed between China and the EU, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit China from April 5 to 7, and French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a state visit to China during the same time.

This is a very positive signal, and shows that Europe wants to engage, said an-email the European Chamber sent to the Global Times on Monday.

In her speech on EU-China relations delivered in Brussels on March 30, President von der Leyen reiterated the importance of ensuring diplomatic stability and open communication with China, the chamber said.

At a time when tensions run high on a variety of issues, it is vital that governments continue open and frank exchanges to raise concerns and strengthen cooperation in areas where it is fruitful, it said.

When asked what deals will be signed or reached during the visit, the chamber said visits like these always generate a lot of business interest and discussions, and a number of announcements are expected to be made during or shortly after the visit.

Airbus and Alstom officials will be among those on the trip, according to Élysée sources, along with a large group of artists and filmmakers, as Macron looks to solidify business and cultural ties with the world's second-largest economy, scmp.com reported.

European plane maker Airbus is negotiating a new round of plane orders with China, according to Reuters, citing government and industry sources.

Many European companies have invested in China and vice-versa. Specific areas where there is mutual interest include the topics of climate change, biodiversity, WTO reform, international standard setting and alignment on digitalization, the chamber said.

China-EU bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation has good momentum. Data from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade showed that the total bilateral trade in goods between China and the EU reached $847.3 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 2.4 percent. China and the EU are each other's second-largest trading partners, Chinese companies' investment flows to the EU will reach $7 billion, and the stock of investment in the EU has reached $102.9 billion.