BEIJING: China and France should seize opportunities and expand the scope of cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while holding talks with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing on Thursday.
During their meeting, Xi said as both visionary and responsible independent major countries, China and France serve as constructive forces in advancing multipolarity and promoting solidarity and cooperation among humanity.
At present, as changes unseen in a century are accelerating, humanity once again stands at a crossroads, facing crucial choices about its future path, Xi noted, adding that China and France should demonstrate a sense of responsibility, uphold multilateralism, and stand firmly on the right side of history.
The two leaders jointly met the press after their talks in Beijing on Thursday. Xi said that both sides agreed to enhance political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and advance the reform and improvement of global governance.
Xi and Macron also attended and addressed the closing ceremony of the seventh meeting of China-France Business Council on Thursday in Beijing, per Xinhua.
The strategic guidance of the two heads of state has kept China-France relations at the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries, and Macron’s visit lays the foundation for enhancing dialogue, expanding common ground and resolving differences, Chinese observers said, adding that the visit could become a catalyst for more China-EU engagement.
Major French media outlets closely followed Macron’s visit to China. Referring to an “extremely uncertain” international context, Macron called for both France and China to mobilize in support of a “robust and lasting” peace and “stability in the world,” according to French media outlet Les Echos. Some Chinese experts said that Macron’s visit to China carries strong symbolic significance.
“His trip is also intended to engage China, the incoming APEC chair, in strategic alignment on behalf of the Western world, given that France will assume the G7 presidency next year,” Wang Shuo, professor at the School of International Relations of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
