Closer Sino-French ties are expected as French President Emmanuel Macron starts his state visit to China on Monday. I think there are at least three supporting factors for that expectation.

Firstly, Macron chose Xi’an as his first stop during his three-day trip. Xi’an is not only the ancient capital of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), but also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. According to sources of the Elysee Palace, the choice reflects Macron’s desire to strengthen the French-Chinese cooperation within the “One Belt and One Road” framework so as to boost trade and interconnectivity in Eurasia and to promote shared growth. This is of vital importance for Macron’s ambition to build a more integrated Europe, which also depends upon infrastructure upgrading and trade expansion. 

Secondly, bilateral relations and cooperations based on mutual respect have remained generally stable since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1964. As there have been tremendous changes in their economic and social development, there is a huge space for bilateral cooperation. It’s time for the two countries to explore new opportunities for cooperation in areas like agricultural products, environment preservation and sustainable urban development. Now, Macron is the first leader from a major western country to visit China after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and he can meet President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders to discuss related issues with them. 

Thirdly, China and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council, sharing similar views on many global issues. Both countries want to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership to face common challenges such as nuclear non-proliferation, climate change and terrorism.  As Beijing and Paris want to play a more global role on the international scene against the rise of trade protectionism and unilateralism, they definitely need more coordination in the area of reforming global governance.

(With a doctoral degree in communications from the China University of Communications, the author has been working in the field of international journalism for 30 years. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the view of CGTN. )