Wang Yi says China hopes EU pursues a pragmatic China policy

Senior Chinese official Wang Yi on Saturday expressed hope that the French side will push the European Union to pursue a positive and pragmatic policy toward China, during a phone talk with the French president's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne.

Citing the volatile international situation, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the international community expects China and France to form a common position and speak on major issues bearing on world peace and stability, as well as the future and destiny of mankind. 

He said that China and France both insist on independence and win-win cooperation, both oppose the division of the world and bloc confrontation, and both practice multilateralism and uphold the UN Charter and international law, adding that China is willing to push bilateral cooperation with France in various fields to a new level, and give play to the important role of the two major countries in dealing with global challenges. 

Bonne said France rejects bloc confrontation and is willing to take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges and strengthen practical cooperation. He added that the two sides should work together to cool down hot spot issues, cope with global challenges including climate change, narrow the North-South gap and push for further development of France-China and Europe-China relations.

The two sides agreed to cooperate on artificial intelligence, strengthen coordination on tackling climate change and further improve the practice of "from French farm to Chinese dinner table," so as to provide a good environment for enterprises of both sides to invest and do business in each other's countries.

The two sides also coordinated on international and regional issues of common concern, such as the Ukraine issue and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

(Cover: File photo of Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. /China's Foreign Ministry)