RIO DE JANEIRO: China-French relations bear unique strategic importance and global influence as the two countries are independent, mature and responsible major countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.
Xi made the remarks during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Xi said the two sides should deepen strategic communication, strengthen mutual support, and maintain the healthy and positive development momentum of China-France relations. He expressed hope that bilateral relations can make greater contributions to the healthy development of China-EU relations as well as global peace and stability.
China is willing to continue to promote high-level exchanges with France while deepening exchanges in areas such as culture, education and people-to-people ties.
Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, Xi reiterated that China hopes the conflict can be alleviated. Neither the spread of the crisis nor the escalation of the conflict is what China wants to see, Xi said, adding that China will continue to play a constructive role in its own way for the ceasefire and the end of the conflict.
For his part, Macron said France is ready to work with China to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, agreeing that the two sides should deepen high-level exchanges and strengthen people-to-people exchanges. cultural while continuing their traditional friendship. .
France will continue to conduct dialogues and cooperate with China in the spirit of mutual respect, appropriately handle economic and trade disputes, and maintain healthy and steady development of bilateral economic and trade relations with China, said Macron.
The French president also expressed a desire to deepen cooperation with China in climate change, artificial intelligence, global management and other areas.
