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Stéphane Séjourné, in talks with his counterpart Wang Yi in the Chinese capital, largely echoed positions that have been laid out by European leaders.
“The rebalancing of our economic partnership is a priority, as it is for our European partners,” Séjourné said at a joint news conference with Wang. “The European Union is a very open market, the most open in the world. But the current deficits with a certain number of countries, including China, are not sustainable for us.”
European officials have expressed concern that a flood of low-priced Chinese-made electric vehicles could disrupt production and displace jobs in Europe.
The EU is investigating whether Chinese government subsidies for EVs give an unfair advantage to Chinese auto exporters. European companies operating in China are complaining that recent changes to national security laws have made it riskier to invest and do business in the country.
On the Chinese side, officials have raised concern about a “de-risking” strategy being pursued by the EU to ensure that it is not overly dependent on any one country for vital supplies and minerals. Wang expressed understanding for the European position but said he hopes it doesn't negatively affect business sentiment.
“I believe the facts have proved and will continue to prove that China constitutes opportunities to Europe, rather than risks," he said. “The two sides are partners not opponents.”
Séjourné posted on X, formerly Twitter, 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.
Séjourné said France is determined to maintain a close dialogue with China to contribute toward finding a path to a lasting peace in Ukraine.
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French authorities have confirmed the discovery of the remains of Emile Soleil, a toddler who went missing in July 2023.
“This heartbreaking news was feared,” said his parents in a statement released by their lawyer, Jerome Triomphe.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed on local media that bones, including a skull, were found by a hiker near Le Vernet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region.
Though the area was searched many times before, Saturday's discovery was aided by investigators, sniffer dogs and a helicopter.
Gendarmerie representatives have not disclosed specific details as the investigation remains ongoing, with all possibilities still being considered.
Initially opened as a missing persons case in Digne-les-Bains, the investigation was quickly handed over to two examining magistrates in Aix-en-Provence, before being reclassified as a criminal case for "kidnapping" and "sequestration".
Police call off search for missing two-year-old Emile in French Alps
In all, seventeen people were summoned by the courts to reconstruct the moment when the boy was last seen.
Emile, aged 2, disappeared while staying with his grandparents in the small Alpine village of Le Vernet on 8 July 2023.
Despite a week-long search operation at the time, no traces of the boy were initially found.
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Officials reported that a Russian cruise missile strike targeted infrastructure in Ukraine's western Lviv region, resulting in the death of one man on Sunday.
Another person died in a separate attack in the northeast, they said.
According to Governor Maksym Kozytskyi, the strike in Lviv destroyed a building, leading to a fire, which sparked rescue operations.
In the Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed an air attack that claimed the life of a 19-year-old man when a missile struck a gas station.
Hundreds of thousands in Ukraine's Odesa region were left without power following a blaze at an energy facility caused by debris from a downed Russian drone, as reported by local authorities.
Approximately 170,000 homes suffered power outages due to the attack, according to DTEK, Ukraine's largest private electricity operator.
The Ukrainian air force reported shooting down nine out of 11 Shahed-type drones and nine out of 14 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight.
Recent days have seen an escalation in Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, resulting in significant damage across several regions.
Centrenergo, a Ukrainian energy company, announced the complete destruction of the Zmiiv Thermal Power Plant in the northeastern Kharkiv region due to Russian shelling the previous week.
As a result, power outage schedules remained in effect for around 120,000 people in the region, with 700,000 initially losing electricity after the plant was hit on March 22.
In a message coinciding with Easter celebrations for some of Ukraine's Christians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the nation to remain resilient despite ongoing Russian aggression.
He emphasised the need to persevere in the face of adversity, affirming the resilience of the Ukrainian spirit.