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| - French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is touring Europe this week amid high tension between Beijing and Washington, the president's office said on Wednesday. The two will meet at the Elysee Palace as part of the "strategic dialogue" between France and China, the presidency said in a statement. Wang Yi, who will also meet his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, began his visit to five European countries on Tuesday in Italy, where he signed two trade agreements, including one on the supply of gas. This trip, which is his first out of China since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, also takes in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Norway, and comes as European countries are protesting against a crackdown on dissidents in Hong Kong. Beijing has also objected to restrictions imposed by several countries, including France, on the activities of Chinese tech giant Huawei in the development of 5G. Macron has made Chinese relations a cornerstone of his foreign policy and visited China in 2018 and 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Paris in March 2019. jri/fjb/bsp/er
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