China is France’s largest trading partner in Asia and the seventh largest globally.
“The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner,” Macron said.
Paris: Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in Paris, that he hopes the historic cooperation partnership between China and France will brighten their way forward, a brighter future of China-France relations and new contributions to global peace, stability and development.
The president said these words in a written speech when he arrived in Paris with a national visit to France.
China and France will light their way forward with the torch of history, open a brighter future for China-French relations, and make new contributions to peace, stability and development globally, he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris, France on Sunday afternoon, to pay a state visit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. This is the second state visit by President Xi to France in five years.
The year 2024 also marks the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations.
“I hope this visit will help cement our long-standing friendship, enhance political trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields,” he said in a written speech upon his arrival, adding that it is a great pleasure to begin his third state visit to the country at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Moreover, in an initial trilateral meeting attended by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Macron said coordination with Beijing on “major crises” including Ukraine was “absolutely decisive” and urged “fair rules for all” in Europe-China trade.
“The future of our continent will very clearly depend on our ability to continue to develop relations with China in a balanced manner,” Macron said.
Back in 2014 and 2019, Xi paid two visits to France, both in spring, to celebrate the 50th and 55th anniversaries of diplomatic relations together with the people of France.
In terms of bilateral trade, China is France’s largest trading partner in Asia and the seventh largest globally. Meanwhile, France is China’s third-largest trading partner and the third-largest source of investment in the European Union.
Both France and China have robust trade ties. Total trade between the two countries was $78.9 billion in 2023, with an average year-on-year increase of 5.9 percent from 2019 to 2023. Over the past five years, China’s imports of consumer goods from France have grown at an average annual rate of 12.3 percent, while China’s imports of material technology products, biotechnology products and integrated circuits from France have all grown at double-digit rates.
The two sides have also worked together to break new ground in advanced areas, including civil nuclear energy and aerospace and aviation.
Airbus, for example, launched its second final assembly line project in Tianjin in 2023 as the French aircraft manufacturer sought to expand in the Chinese market. According to Airbus, its market share in China has expanded from about 20 percent to over 50 percent over the past 15 years.
Data from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce showed 6,687 French companies had been established in China by the end of 2021, with a total investment of over $19 billion.
Cooperation on climate change is another remarkable area where China-France joined to combat climate crisis, and are signees of Paris Agreement on climate change and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is boosting strongly the implementation of the global climate agenda.
Former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner while talking to CGTN TV said that France and other European countries are seeking closer ties with China because of its vast market and profound culture.
