Chinese, French presidents agree to promote strategic partnership

BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Newly-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Francois Hollande discussed over phone topics concerning bilateral ties and cooperation late Friday.

The two heads of state also pledged to promote the comprehensive relations of strategic partnership between their two countries.

While congratulating Xi on his election to the presidency, Hollande said both France and China, as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, advocate multipolarity of the world, and share the same or similar positions on many major issues.

China plays a significant role in promoting world peace, stability and development, and France is determined to strengthen the comprehensive relations of strategic partnership between the two sides, he said.

The French leader also said that the 50th anniversary of relations between France and China in 2014 provides an opportunity for the two countries to work together to plan for the future of the bilateral ties, and to advance cooperation of mutual benefit.

Xi thanked Hollande for his congratulations, and said that France is the first Western power to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Since then, bilateral ties have seen continued development.

China highly appreciates France's taking of development of relations with China as a priority in its foreign relations, Xi said, adding that China will as always value the China-France relationship no matter how the world situation changes.

Xi also said that under the current circumstances, the bilateral relations are facing new opportunities. The two sides should uphold the spirit of equality, openness, tolerance, mutual benefit and all-win, adapt themselves to the change of times, seize opportunities, and maintain high-level contact.

The two countries should expand pragmatic cooperation, enhance their communication and coordination on major international affairs, jointly run activities of marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and enhance friendship between the two peoples, so as to promote the new type of comprehensive relations of strategic partnership between China and France to a new stage, Xi said.

Xi, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was elected Chinese president and chairman of China's Central Military Commission on Thursday at the plenary meeting of the first session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC).