Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, held phone talks on Monday with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Wang said that the two heads of state reached a series of strategic consensus during President Macron's visit to China in April, and the two sides should step up to implement the consensus.

Wang praised Macron's rencent remarks on various multilateral occasions, which he said has demonstrated France's independent diplomacy, and appreciated that other European countries to engage in dialogue and contact with China more actively.

He said that as two major forces in the process toward a multi-polar world, China and the European Union (EU) share a lot of common interests, and the two sides should focus more on cooperation, working together to provide more stability to the world.

Bonne said France is willing to strengthen cooperation with China and contribute to the development of France-China and EU-China relations as well as international peace and stability.

He added that France believes Europe should remain united, uphold its independence and establish a partnership with China based on mutual respect and common prosperity.

The two sides also exchanged views on global challenges. Bonne said that France is looking forward to closer cooperation between the Global North and the Global South to achieve a more balanced and sustainable global development.

Wang said that as a member of the Global South countries, China has been advocating that developed countries take concrete actions to support the development of the Global South. And as the largest developing country, China is committed to providing support to the developing countries and safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests through South-South cooperation, Wang added.

The two sides also coordinated their positions on the Ukrainian crisis and agreed to create conditions for its political settlement.

(Cover image: National flags of France and China. /CFP)