Premier of China’s State Council Li Qiang met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Beijing on Thursday.
In the current international situation, China and France, as independent, mature and responsible major countries, should strengthen communication and coordination to bring more stability and confidence to the common development of the two countries and the world, Li said.
He said China is willing to work with France, following the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, maintain close high-level exchanges, expand mutually beneficial co-operation and strengthen multilateral coordination on issues including combating climate change to bring more benefits to the two peoples and the world.
Li said China and France, as staunch advocates of free trade and multilateralism, with closely intertwined economic interests, should together resist protectionism and unilateralism, further strengthen open-minded co-operation and make full use of their complementary advantages to continuously give impetus to the economic development of the two countries.
China has always regarded France as an important co-operation partner and is willing to work with the country. While strengthening long-standing co-operation in aviation, aerospace and nuclear power, they should constantly tap the potential for co-operation in emerging and future industries such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence and biotechnology to boost and strengthen new economic drivers, Li said.
China hopes France will create a fair, equitable and predictable development environment for Chinese enterprises investing in the country, he added.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. China is willing to use this as an opportunity to deepen bilateral relations and solve problems through dialogue and consultation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Li said, expressing hope that France will play a positive role in this regard.
Barrot said that amid growing uncertainties in today’s world, France and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should fulfil their important joint responsibility to protect multilateral relations.
France attaches great importance to its relations with China and is ready to work with China to actively implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, expand mutually beneficial co-operation in areas such as trade, investment, science and technology, and address climate change and other global challenges, Barrot said.
France always adheres to strategic independence and opposes trade protectionism and trade wars. France advocates strengthening dialogue and co-operation between the EU and China in the economic and trade fields, properly addressing the problems of both sides and seeking a more positive agenda, he also said.
