PARIS, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- China and France stand ready to promote bilateral cooperation and the strategic partnership between China and the European Union (EU), said visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron, during their meeting here Friday.

Wang noted that China and France have maintained frequent high-level exchanges and in-depth strategic communication, which embodies the high level of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.

Against the backdrop of regular epidemic prevention and control, the two sides should make full use of the "fast-track lane" to resume personnel exchanges in an orderly manner and promote cooperation in drug and vaccine research and development, so as to make positive contribution to an early victory against the pandemic, said Wang.

To raise the strategic cooperation to a new level, China is willing to work with France to further advance major projects such as spent fuel reprocessing plant, said the Chinese foreign minister.

China supports France in playing an important role in the global response to climate change, he added.

China and the EU, as independent forces in the world, have common interests far exceeding differences. "We are partners, not rivals," he said.

Facing the resurgence of unilateralism and protectionism, China and the EU should join hands to uphold multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, as well as the free trade system represented by the World Trade Organization (WTO), Wang said.

To bring greater development to China-EU relations, China stands ready to work with France and the EU to discuss plans for the next stage of high-level exchanges, promote cooperation in areas such as response to climate change and digital economy, and complete the negotiations for a China-EU investment agreement within this year, he added.

For his part, Bonne noted that the cooperation between France and China has been substantial and dynamic.

France hopes to join hands with China to promote cooperation in areas such as vaccine research and development, debt relief in Africa, digital economy, spent fuel reprocessing plant as well as political settlement of hot issues.

France also hopes to work with China to ensure the success of the World Conservation Congress in Marseille and the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming next year, he added.

Bonne said that France attaches great importance to the EU-China cooperation, which is of strategic significance, and agrees to formulate ambitious plans for an effective and fruitful EU-China partnership.

France has been committed to frequent high-level exchanges between Europe and China, and will work with relevant parties to plan post-pandemic exchanges and cooperation so as to lift EU-China strategic cooperation to a new level, he said.

France is the fourth leg of Wang's ongoing European tour, which has taken him to Italy, the Netherlands and Norway and will also take him to Germany.