On the afternoon of April 1, 2024, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stéphane Séjourné at the Great Hall of the People.
Li Qiang said that China-France relations have long been at the forefront of China's relations with Western major countries, which not only benefits the two peoples but also has a profound impact on the world. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with President Emmanuel Macron, and both sides agreed to promote further development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with France to follow through on the important common understandings of the two heads of state, strengthen exchanges at all levels, carry forward traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance mutual understanding, unswervingly advance bilateral relations, leverage the stability of China-France relations to promote better development of the two countries, and inject more certainty into world development through strengthening multilateral coordination.
Li Qiang pointed out that the economies of China and France are highly complementary, with many interest convergence points. China has always regarded France as a priority partner and is ready to tap the potential of cooperation in such fields as green energy, scientific and technological innovation, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and digital economy while deepening traditional cooperation to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Li Qiang expressed the hope that France will provide an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, and actively promote the EU side to follow economic laws and market rules and properly address the concerns of both sides through consultation. The absence of cooperation and failure to develop are the biggest risks. Noting that China and France are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and responsible major countries, Li Qiang said China is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with France to make positive contributions to resolving international hotspot issues and improving global governance.
Stéphane Séjourné said France-China relations have an important impact on both countries and the world. France adheres to independence, opposes bloc confrontation as well as decoupling and severing of supply chains, and firmly adheres to the one-China policy. France is willing to work with China to take the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of France-China diplomatic relations as an opportunity to implement the common understandings of the two heads of state, deepen exchanges and cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, environmental protection, artificial intelligence, and people-to-people exchanges, jointly cope with global challenges, and push for further in-depth development of the France-China comprehensive strategic partnership.