China-France Ties: French Chamber of Commerce and Industry calls for 'coopetition' under BRI

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The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paris is calling on French firms to cooperate and have healthy competition with China. The chamber's latest report says China's Belt and Road Initiative offers opportunities globally, and the French business community should not miss out on them. Our Hou Na explains.

"Coopetition" is a key word coined by the 18-page report, which emphasizes cooperation and friendly competition with China, rather than hostile rivalry.

On the Belt and Road Initiative, it says: "A closed approach could miss out on a project that will change the game globally. This is absolutely not a battle to initiate with China, but rather a dialogue."

The report describes the Belt and Road as having three beneficial routes.

The first - the maritime route, which promotes economic and commercial exchanges between different continents by reducing the cost and duration of transport.

Secondly, it also offers a rail route that boosts the development of infrastructure and logistics services.

And finally, a digital path that aims to create a shared digital market.

HOU NA BEIJING "The report indicates that this is an opportunity for Western countries to modernize infrastructure or even to develop digital networks at a time when European countries do not necessarily have the financial means to support major infrastructure projects."

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the G20 Summit in Japan last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative has entered a new stage of high-quality development, calling on China and France to speed up third-market cooperation, and work more closely in nuclear energy, aerospace and other sectors.

The report says France could also seek synergy under the Belt and Road in health, environment and urbanization.

It says this is an opportunity for the West to modernize infrastructure or even to develop digital networks at a time when European countries do not necessarily have the financial means to do so on their own.

The report also says the initiative is a lever for general economic growth and French companies in several aspects: facilitating trade and offering a competitive advantage for access to partnership markets or third markets, such as those in Southeast Asia or Africa. Joining this initiative also provides technological complementarity and strategic development worldwide.

And finally, the report says if French firms want to succeed in doing business with China, it's key for them to understand the country and the Chinese communities in Europe or third-party countries.

HOU NA, CGTN, BEIJING.