World
23:25, 26-Mar-2019
Xi calls on France to provide fair business environment for Chinese firms
Updated
08:52, 27-Mar-2019
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China hopes France continues to provide a fair, transparent and indiscriminate business environment for Chinese companies, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday, noting that Beijing also welcomes more French firms to invest in China.
Xi, who is on a state visit to France from Sunday to Tuesday, made the remarks during a meeting with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, Xi noted, stressing that bilateral ties are improving day by day.
He called on the two sides to make the "pie of cooperation" bigger and gradually narrow their differences. China and France should upgrade their cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy, aerospace, education and sports and deepen cultural exchanges, he added.
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The Chinese president also suggested the two sides foster new drivers of cooperation in the fields of technological innovation, the digital economy, artificial intelligence and high-end manufacturing.
He said China welcomes France to play an active role in jointly building the Belt and Road – an initiative proposed by Xi in 2013 that aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.
Philippe said the French government will implement the important consensus reached during Xi's visit to promote practical cooperation in the green economy, environmental protection and nuclear energy between the two countries.
"My visit to China last year was a great success and China-France cooperation is productive," he said.
France supports efforts to strengthen China-Europe relations, the prime minister noted.
Xi held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. The two leaders witnessed the signing of 15 business contracts worth billions of euros.
France was the last leg of Xi's three-nation Europe tour starting from last Thursday. He already concluded visits to Italy and Monaco.
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