BRUSSELS:&nbsp;The European Union &quot;strongly condemns&quot; US sanctions imposed on five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, the Commission said Wednesday. The US State Department announced Tuesday it would deny visas to Breton and four activists, accusing them of seeking to &quot;coerce&quot; American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. &quot;We have requested clarifications from the US authorities and remain engaged. If needed, we will respond swiftly and decisively to defend our regulatory autonomy against unjustified measures,&quot; said a statement from the Commission. &quot;Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies, applied fairly and without discrimination.&quot; The statement also said: &quot;Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world. &quot;The EU is an open, rules-based single market, with the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with our democratic values and international commitments,&quot; the Commission said. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced US decision to deny visas to five European figures involved in regulating tech companies, saying the move amounted to &quot;intimidation&quot; and &quot;coercion&quot;. &quot;France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures,&quot; Macron wrote on X. &quot;These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty,&quot; he added, saying Europe would defend its &quot;regulatory autonomy&quot;.

Europe

The European Union strongly condemned the US sanctions imposed on five European figures. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the US decision, saying the move amounted to intimidation and coercion

EU 'strongly condemns' US sanctions against five Europeans: Commission

BEIJING:&nbsp;French President Emmanuel Macron told Xi Jinping that France and China must overcome their &ldquo;differences&rdquo;, as the two leaders met in Beijing on Thursday. &ldquo;Sometimes there are differences, but it is our responsibility to overcome them for the greater good,&rdquo; Macron told Xi during the meeting. The Chinese leader echoed Macron, calling for &ldquo;more stable&rdquo; ties with France during their talks at the Great Hall of the People. &lsquo;More stable&rsquo;Xi said China was willing to work with France &ldquo;to exclude any interference&rdquo; and &ldquo;make the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France more stable&rdquo;. Macron and his wife Brigitte were given a grand welcome by Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan to the Great Hall of the People, where the ceremony was moved indoors due to cold weather. Macron blew kisses to children who held flowers, while a band played the national anthems of both countries. Top of Macron&#39;s agenda during his three-day visit to China is the issue of Ukraine and the role Beijing could play in securing a ceasefire. Rebalancing trade ties&nbsp;&quot;We must continue to work towards peace and stability in the world, and in Ukraine and other regions affected by war,&quot; Macron told Xi, adding: &quot;Our capacity to work together is decisive.&quot; The French president also called for rebalancing trade ties, and urged Xi to work with G7 countries for rules-based economic governance.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1996188658487922937&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=92a695e3547cf2463211d3633b6c821060f9ae9c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1996188658487922937">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><h2 style="line-height: 2;">Pressure on Ukraine&nbsp;</h2>Macron, visiting China for the fourth time since taking office in 2017, is also expected to meet with Premier Li Qiang before travelling to Chengdu, where two giant pandas loaned to France were recently returned. Macron has sought to pressure Xi to help secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, as the war with Russia drags into a fourth winter. Macron&#39;s three-day visit to Beijing follows a trip to Paris by Ukraine&#39;s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged Europe to stand by Kyiv as US President Donald Trump pushes a plan to end the war. &quot;We share the view that the war must be brought to a fair end,&quot; Zelensky wrote on social media after Monday&#39;s talks with Macron, which also included phone calls with other European leaders.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1995507343648235773&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=92a695e3547cf2463211d3633b6c821060f9ae9c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1995507343648235773"></iframe></div></div><h2 style="line-height: 2;">Over $350B trade deficit &nbsp;</h2>Macron is also due to discuss trade with his Chinese hosts, with the European Union facing a massive trade deficit of $357 billion with the Asian powerhouse. &quot;It is necessary for China to consume more and export less... and for Europeans to save less and produce more,&quot; an adviser to Macron said. Macron has previously called for the European Union to reduce its dependence on China and for a &ldquo;European preference&rdquo; in the tech sector. Last month, he told a European summit of tech leaders and ministers from across the continent that the bloc does not want to be a &ldquo;vassal&rdquo; to US and Chinese tech companies. The French president will stay in China until Friday, with a final stop in Chengdu in the southwestern province of Sichuan. &lsquo;Quite exceptional&rsquo;Last week, two giant pandas loaned to France by China were flown to their ancestral home to retire at an animal sanctuary in the city. The Chinese embassy promised new bears would soon be dispatched to make up for the popular pair leaving. The Chengdu visit is &ldquo;quite exceptional in Chinese protocol&rdquo;, the French presidency said, adding it was &ldquo;appreciated as such&rdquo; by Macron. During his last trip to China, the French president was given a rock star welcome at a university in the southern city of Guangzhou, with students chanting his name and scrambling for selfies and high-fives.

China

French President Macron met Xi Jinping in Beijing, urging France and China to overcome differences, strengthen strategic partnership, rebalance trade, and work toward peace in Ukraine, while Xi emphasized stable ties and cooperation against interference.

China and France must overcome ‘differences’, Macron tells Xi

V&Eacute;LIZY-VILLACOUBLAY: France&#39;s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky Monday signed an accord for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale fighter jets and other hardware, a boost for Ukraine as it fights the Russian invasion.&nbsp;The letter of intent inked by the two leaders sets out possible future contracts for Ukraine to acquire 100 Rafale fighter jets &quot;with their associated weapons&quot;, the French presidency said.&nbsp;It also lays out deals for the new generation SAMP-T air defense systems which are under development, radar systems and drones.&nbsp;The accord signed at France&#39;s Villacoublay air base is not a purchase and sales contract and is projected to be realized &quot;over a timeframe of about 10 years&quot;, the presidency added.&nbsp;Zelensky, who has suffered setbacks over the last week due to a corruption scandal at home and Russian forces closing in on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, wrote on X ahead of meeting Macron that the accord would be a &quot;historic deal&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;A great day,&quot; Macron wrote in a brief post on X in French and Ukrainian over a picture of the deal being signed.&nbsp;The aim is to &quot;enable it (Kyiv) to acquire the systems it needs to respond to Russian aggression&quot;, added a French presidential official, asking not to be named.&nbsp;The Ukrainian president had already signed a letter of intent last month to acquire 100 to 150 Swedish Gripen fighter jets.&nbsp;France has delivered Mirage fighter jets to Kyiv, but until now there had been no talk of Ukraine acquiring the Rafale, the crown jewel of French combat aviation.

France and Ukraine signed a letter of intent for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 Rafale jets plus air-defense systems, radars, and drones over 10 years, strengthening Ukraine amid battlefield pressure and following its earlier Gripen plans

Articles tagged with "Emmanuel Macron"

EU 'strongly condemns' US sanctions against five Europeans: Commission

China and France must overcome ‘differences’, Macron tells Xi

Macron, Zelensky sign accord for Ukraine to buy French fighter jets