China willing to enhance high-level exchanges with France: FM

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna via video link, Dec 19, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's promising economic prospects and the potential of its huge market will bring greater opportunities to countries including France, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

He emphasized that China will continue to optimize COVID-19 prevention and control measures according to changes in the pandemic situation, and will provide more convenience for exchanges of Chinese and foreign personnel.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks on Monday in a virtual meeting with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.

He said that China is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with France, as well as deepen and expand cooperation in fields like the economy and trade.

Wang also called for the two countries to strengthen strategic communication to contribute to the healthy development of China-European Union relations, as well as peace and stability in the region and the world at large.

Colonna said that France is willing to work with China to prepare for high-level exchanges at the next stage and formulate a cooperation road map to consolidate the two nations' comprehensive strategic partnership.

She said France appreciates China's new responses to the pandemic and looks forward to reactivating people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

France is confident in and willing to help China promote the Chinese path to modernization, she said, adding that her country is ready to continue bolstering multilateral coordination with China to jointly tackle global challenges.

Analysts said they believed that amid a volatile international landscape, the role and value of the cooperation between China and France will be further improved.

Cui Hongjian, director of the department of European studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said China's optimization of pandemic responses will be conducive to the country's exchanges with foreign countries.

Cui also said that China, whose economy has strong resilience, huge potential and robust vitality, will create new opportunities for the world through its growth.

"France attaches great importance to China, as China represents huge economic opportunities and also plays an irreplaceable role in global affairs such as fighting climate change and promoting global security," Cui said.

China also hopes that France, a core country of the European Union, can uphold strategic autonomy and promote dialogue and cooperation between China and the EU, he added.

Noting that France commends the Chinese path to modernization, Cui said this shows that France supports diversity, instead of drawing lines according to ideological differences or seeking exclusive development.

Cui also said that France "is willing to enhance cooperation with China under a shared goal of modernization, which also will help the two countries manage differences".

Wang Yiwei, director of the Center for European Studies at Renmin University of China, said that China-France cooperation delivers win-win results.

China's pursuit of high-quality development, advancement of high-level opening-up and steady expansion of institutional opening-up will bring huge dividends to other countries, he said.