China, France pledge to jointly safeguard multilateralism, improve global governance

Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd L), French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (1st R) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attend the closing ceremony of a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France in Paris, France, March 26, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

PARIS, March 26 (Xinhua) -- China and France have pledged to jointly safeguard multilateralism and improve global governance, according to a joint statement issued Tuesday during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the European country.

The two countries believe that in the current situation, upholding multilateralism is the best way to advance international cooperation in tackling growing common risks and challenges as well as in safeguarding world peace and prosperity, the joint statement said.

On global economic governance, the two countries call for pushing forward the economic globalization towards a more open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminative system, and safeguarding the rules-based, WTO-centered multilateral trading regime.

They will continue to make joint efforts to build an open world economy, reject protectionism in all forms and guarantee a level playing field, added the joint statement.

They agree to strengthen China-European Union (EU) ties, support the docking of China's Belt and Road Initiative with the EU's connectivity initiatives including the Euro-Asian connectivity strategy, and strengthen exchanges within the framework of the China-EU Connectivity Platform.

The two countries stress that China and the EU are increasingly relying on each other, and that against this backdrop, the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership should be developed to advance global governance reform, and make the multilateral system more effective, better reflect the principle of fairness and justice, and better respond to the challenges in the 21st century.

The two countries, in the spirit of mutual benefit, promise to reach an ambitious China-EU comprehensive investment treaty at an early date, which will include market access and investment protection.

On climate change, China and France pledge to implement the Paris Agreement in an all-round way.

The two countries, said the joint statement, will also work together to push for global concerted efforts to address biodiversity loss, and prepare for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to be held in China next year.