BEIJING, May 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in
Paris on Sunday afternoon local
time, the first stop of his visit to three European countries. In a
written speech on Sunday upon his arrival for a state visit to
France, Xi said over the past 60 years, China-France relations have long been at the
forefront of China's ties with
major Western countries, setting a good example for the
international community of peaceful coexistence and win-win
cooperation between countries with different systems.
The development of China-France
relations has not only brought benefits to the two peoples, but
also injected stability and positive energy into the turbulent
world, Xi said in the written speech.
Xi's visit to France comes at a time when this year marks the
60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between China and France. Analysts
believe the visit will boost leadership exchanges, strengthen
political trust and offer an opportunity for China-Europe
relations to move forward in a stable and steady manner.
"President Xi will have comprehensive and in-depth strategic
communication with French President Emmanuel Macron on China-France and China-Europe
relations, encourage France to uphold strategic autonomy and
openness in cooperation, so as to drive Europe to form a more independent, objective,
and friendly understanding of China and resist negative trends such as
'de-risking' and 'reduced dependence' on China," Chinese ambassador to France Lu Shaye told a press briefing on
April 29 after China made the announcement of the visit.
Pierre Picquart, an expert in geopolitics and human geography
from the University of Paris-VIII, told the Global Times that Xi's
visit is significant on three levels.
"On the economic front, this trip could pave the way for
reaching trade agreements and promoting mutually beneficial
investments in key sectors such as technology, innovation, energy
and infrastructure. Diplomatically, this visit provides an ideal
platform to strengthen coordination and collaboration between
China and France on major global
challenges such as climate change, international security and
public health. On cultural and educational level, this trip could
open up new opportunities for cooperation in the fields of
education, research and culture, thereby strengthening exchanges
between our peoples and deepening their mutual understanding,"
Picquart said.
Commemorative events
The national flags of China and
France have been raised at one end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées
as well as on the street in front of Les Invalides.
On Sunday afternoon, near the Arc de Triomphe in the center of
Paris, many local Chinese
residents and Chinese students waved the national flags of
China and France to welcome
President Xi. The red banners that read "Long live China-France friendship" and "Wish President
Xi a successful visit to France" were very eye-catching. Some also
staged dragon and lion dances in show of a joyful atmosphere.
Prior to Xi's visit, several events had been held in preparation
for Xi's visit as well as to commemorate the 60th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
The Second Forum on China-France Global Governance was jointly
held on Thursday by the Academy of Contemporary China and World
Studies and China-Europe-America
Global Initiative. Themed "Deepening global governance reforms,
jointly building the future of multilateralism," the forum invited
more than 100 Chinese and French scholars to share their views on
the role of China and France in
building a more just world.
Pascal Boniface, director of the
Paris-based Institute for
International and Strategic Affairs, told the Global Times at the
event, hoping that Xi's visit can address such issues as preserving
multilateralism, as "we are at a time when we have the war between
Russia and Ukraine, the war in Gaza and a lot of turmoil in the Middle East."
On Friday, a symposium themed "Exchanges and Mutual Learning
between the Chinese and French Civilizations: Review and Outlook,"
was jointly organized by the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS) and the Paris-based National Institute of Oriental
Languages and Civilizations. Around 100 researchers from the two
countries held discussions on the practice of cross-cultural
exchanges between China and France
and scientific and technological innovation and the future of
civilization.
Antoine Broussy, director of the Charles de Gaulle Foundation,
told the Global Times that many commemorations are taking place in
Paris.
Seeking common interests
Sixty years ago, France became the first Western country to
establish diplomatic relations with China. Broussy believes it was "the result of
a rational analysis of the geopolitical situation at the time."
Then French president, General Charles De
Gaulle who made the decision, was a strong advocate for
"strategic autonomy" of France. Nowadays, France's call for
"strategic autonomy" of both France and Europe has been repeatedly coming from French
President Macron.
When co-chairing the 25th China-France Strategic Dialogue in
Paris in February with French
President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the
Communist Party of China (CPC)
Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central
Commission for Foreign Affairs, said China supports Europe in strengthening its strategic autonomy
and holding its future in its own hands.
As of 2021, China has been the
largest Asian country in terms of investment and job creation in
France for three consecutive
years, according to a report by Business France. China-France exchanges in core sectors such as
aerospace, nuclear energy and trade have already realized fruitful
achievements, and the development of emerging fields such as new
energy and the digital economy are likely to become new growth
engines.
Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of
Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that
France also views China as an
important external force to achieve strategic autonomy, as France
has another ambition of strengthening France's leadership of
Europe.
Xin Hua, director and chair
professor of the Center for European Union Studies, Shanghai
International Studies University, believes China-France relations serve as the ballast
stone of China-Europe relations.
"France is one of the most important core members of the EU and
its strategic orientations play a decisive role in the EU's
integration process and the strategic and security pattern of the
European continent. As long as China and France maintain positive
interaction, China-Europe relations will stay stable," said
Xin.
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SOURCE Global Times