Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday said China and France are two major forces for maintaining stability in the process toward a multi-polar world, calling on the two sides to make due contributions to maintaining peace, stability and development.

Wang made his remarks during a phone conversation with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic counselor to French President Emmanuel Macron.

In the face of the chaotic international situation, especially the rampant unilateralism and the rise of the law of the jungle, China, as a responsible power, has always insisted on safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Wang stressed.

Noting the Ukraine crisis has shown a long-term and complex tendency, Wang said the situation is what the world does not want to see.

China has insisted on promoting peace and negotiation from the very beginning and will continue to make every effort to play a constructive role for a ceasefire, the Chinese foreign minister said.

The Chinese side appreciates President Macron's active mediation efforts and supports and believes that France, as a European major power, will continue to play a unique and important role in the issue, he added.

Wang told Bonne that China is willing to work with the French side to promote a more dynamic development of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.

Referring to China's relationship with the EU, the Chinese foreign minister also voiced hope that the French side could play an active role in promoting the healthy and smooth development of China-EU relations, extending the positive list of China-EU cooperation and creating new cooperation highlights in energy security, carbon market and green finance.

Wang also called for jointly promoting the success of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the second phase of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Bonne said France attaches great importance to maintaining high-level exchanges with China. President Macron is firmly committed to the France-China friendship and hopes to push bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level. 
  
France is ready to deepen practical cooperation with China in such fields as aviation, agriculture, food, energy and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen coordination in global affairs including biodiversity protection and climate change, and looks forward to a new round of strategic dialogue between the two countries at an early date, said Bonne. 
  
The renewed flames of war on the European continent has dealt a heavy blow to Europe's recovery and development, he said. Both Europe and China, as well as France and China, are committed to peace, stability and development while adhering to important concepts such as respecting international law and safeguarding sovereignty, he added. 

France, together with China, is willing to jointly demonstrate the responsibility of major countries, work for an early ceasefire, and minimize the negative spillover impacts of the Ukraine crisis on vulnerable and underdeveloped countries, he said.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: CFP)