Wang Yi calls for more solid, dynamic China-France comprehensive strategic partnership

China is willing to work with France to build a more solid and dynamic China-France comprehensive strategic partnership, aiming to continue bringing bilateral cooperation at the forefront of the world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in Beijing.

Wang said China-France high-level exchanges, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, has shown multiple highlights, including continuous institutional dialogues, close multilateral cooperation, and rising people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The two countries will continue to provide more stability to a turbulent world with mature and stable bilateral relations, added Wang.

He called on both sides to continue to give full play to the coordinating role of the China-France strategic, economic and financial, as well as people-to-people dialogue mechanisms, promote the establishment of new dialogue channels to inject new impetus into deepening and expanding practical cooperation between the two countries.

China is willing to work with France to expand mutual openness, promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, he said.

It is hoped that France will provide Chinese enterprises with a more fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment, Wang said, urging efforts to increase mutual support in multilateral fields to demonstrate the great significance of China-France relations that are beyond the bilateral scope and bearing global significance.

Noting that China has always regarded Europe as an important pole in a multi-polar world, Wang said China supports the strategic independence of the European Union (EU), Europe's development and its integration process.

Emphasizing that there is no geopolitical conflicts or conflicts of fundamental interests between China and Europe, he called on both sides to increase mutual trust through dialogues and properly address differences through friendly negotiations.

Wang expressed his hope that France will continue to play a constructive role in the sound and stable development of China-Europe relations.

Noting that France-China relations bear great significance, Colonna said France has always insisted on carrying out cooperation with China on the basis of mutual trust.

The French side firmly adheres to the one-China policy and stands ready to work with China to deepen cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, technology, agriculture, tourism, aerospace and artificial intelligence, aimed at opening up the next 60 years of a more glorious France-China relations, she said.

France vows to deepen cooperation under the multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations to jointly address global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity protection, she said, pledging to work to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Both sides agreed to hold events marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the Year of Culture and Tourism in 2024, maintain close high-level exchanges, and strengthen third-party market cooperation.

Both sides agreed to implement the results yielded at the sixth meeting of the China-France high-level dialogue mechanism on people-to-people exchanges, enhance cooperation in fields such as education, culture, Olympics and health, push bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges to unleash greater vitality. The French side will issue longer visas to Chinese graduate students studying in France.