BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged greetings in a phone conversation ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Macron wished Xi and the Chinese people a happy Spring Festival, and Xi extended the same wishes to Macron and the French people. The year of 2019 witnessed high-level development of China-France relations, Xi said, noting that he and Macron exchanged visits to each other’s country, ushering in a new chapter in bilateral ties, and that the agreements they reached are being well implemented. “I’m willing to work with you in the new year to maintain the high-level development of China-France ties,” said the Chinese president. Xi called on the two sides to leverage the leading role of high-level exchanges, saying that he is willing to maintain regular communication with Macron so as to exchange ideas on significant issues of mutual concern in a timely manner. He urged the two countries to accelerate the implementation of the consensus their leaders have reached on practical cooperation, accomodate the key concerns of both sides, push forward win-win cooperation in such fields as civilian nuclear energy, science and technology, industry and aerospace, and make good preparations for the 2021 China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. The Chinese market is open to the whole world, and will certainly continue to be open to Europe and France, Xi said. The two sides, he added, should enhance communication and coordination on international affairs, and support each other in hosting the World Conservation Congress and the fourth One Planet Summit in France and the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in China. – The Daily Mail-China Daily News exchange item
