(A closer look at China) Chinese and French heads of state meet again in Beijing, and the relations between the two countries "build up their own people"
Beijing, 4 Apr (ZXS) -- Question: Chinese and French heads of state meet again in Beijing, and relations between the two countries "build oneself and reach oneself."
China News Agency reporter Liang Xiaohui
After more than three years, the heads of state of China and France met again in Beijing.
On the afternoon of April 4, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People.
On the afternoon of April 4, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. After the talks, the two heads of state jointly met with Chinese and foreign journalists. Photo by Sheng Jiapeng, reporter of China News Agency
This is a dialogue that has attracted the attention of the two countries and the world. How can bilateral relations develop upwards between China and France? How to seize each other's development opportunities? In the world, how can China and France work together to contribute wisdom to global crisis response? How will the two major civilizations of China and Europe inject stability into the world?
Observers said that the reunion of the two heads of state in Beijing sends a clear signal that Sino-French relations on the world map are "self-reliant."
Reorientation of bilateral relations
"Adhere to the general direction of stability, reciprocity, pioneering and upward Sino-French comprehensive strategic partnership," Xi Jinping said at the meeting. This is seen as a reorientation of Sino-French relations, which are about to enter the year of the first child.
Historically, France was the first Western power to formally establish diplomatic relations with New China and the first Western power to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Sino-French relations have maintained stable and healthy development. Xi Jinping once summarized the spirit of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France as "independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win".
In recent years, despite some fluctuations in the EU's China policy, France has always maintained its strategic autonomy towards China. This time, Macron also became the first European head of state to visit China after the National People's Congress and the National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, highlighting the upward momentum of the steady development of Sino-French relations.
"I am very pleased to visit China again and discuss with President Xi Jinping to further enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership between France and China." Macron said during the talks that France adheres to independent diplomacy. France will not choose sides, but advocates unity and cooperation, and relations between major countries remain stable.
Xi Jinping pointed out that stability is a prominent feature and valuable wealth of China-France relations, which deserves careful care from both sides.
During the talks, the two sides agreed to maintain close communication between the two heads of state, hold a new meeting of the three high-level dialogue mechanisms of strategy, economy, finance and people-to-people exchanges between China and France within this year, and restart exchanges between legislative bodies, military and other entities as soon as possible.
"These achievements show that the development of Sino-French relations has once again made positive progress." Cui Hongjian, director of the Institute of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that President Xi Jinping's proposal of the word "upward" on the relationship between the two countries contains expectations and profound meaning.
Cui Hongjian believes that this visit has largely dispelled some doubts from Europe in the past two or three years, and its "upward" demonstration effect will gradually appear over time.
A common ambition for mutually beneficial cooperation
"I led a large delegation to China this time in the hope of strengthening cooperation with China and promoting people-to-people exchanges." Macron spoke bluntly during talks with Xi Jinping.
According to public reports, the large delegation includes the French ministers of economy, culture, foreign affairs and agriculture, as well as more than 60 heads of large enterprises and more than 20 cultural figures. The visit was therefore described as an "economic, political, cultural and diplomatic itinerary".
The commentary believes that on the one hand, this shows France's ambition not to "decouple and break the chain" with China and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and on the other hand, it also shows China's "magnetic attraction" in promoting the process of Chinese-style modernization as the world's huge consumer market.
"China will promote high-level opening up and share with other countries in the world the new opportunities brought by China's new development," Xi Jinping said during a joint meeting with reporters with Macron after the talks. He also mentioned that the two sides agreed to create a rapid synergy mechanism for the whole chain "from French farms to Chinese tables".
On the same day, under the joint witness of the two heads of state, a series of "big orders" landed. A number of bilateral cooperation documents cover the fields of agri-food, science and technology, aviation, civil nuclear energy, sustainable development, culture and so on.
Speaking to entrepreneurs from both countries, Macron said that the signing of a series of important agreements between the two sides demonstrates the common ambition of France and China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.
Some French entrepreneurs also bluntly said that this visit has given great support to the business community and injected a "shot in the arm" for French-funded enterprises that open up the Chinese market.
Sun Keqin, a researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, pointed out that following the successful visit of German Chancellor Scholz to China last year, France is now also in the forefront of seizing new opportunities for China's development.
Sun Keqin believes that under the premise that the trade ties between China and Europe are particularly close, Europe is well aware of the harm of "decoupling" from China. The prospect of high-quality economic development in China is a major boon for Europe as a whole.
Sino-French relations "build oneself and reach people"
"It will bring a new atmosphere to China-EU relations and make new contributions to the international community's cooperation in addressing global challenges." In a meeting with Macron, Xi Jinping pointed out the "great power responsibility" of Sino-French relations.
The commentary said that this makes people see the world significance of Sino-French relations "establishing oneself and reaching oneself".
In today's chaotic and intertwined world, China and France shoulder important responsibilities in responding to global challenges, both in response to imminent crises and in improving the global governance system.
How to discuss a solution to the Ukraine crisis with China is one of the focuses of Macron's visit. During the talks, Xi Jinping put forward five proposals, including "supporting the European side to play a role in the political settlement of the crisis, and is willing to work with the French side to call on the international community to maintain rational restraint". Macron also said that France advocates resuming political negotiations and resolving the crisis by diplomatic means.
Cui Hongjian analyzed that the 5-point content should be the result of China and France finding consensus on the 12-point principled position of the "China's Position on Political Settlement of the Ukrainian Crisis". These consensuses may become a key factor in Europe's political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and also mean that the international community's power to persuade and promote peace talks represented by China will further grow, demonstrating the world responsibility of China and France as permanent members of the UN Security Council.
On the afternoon of April 4, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a trilateral meeting between France, France and Europe with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President von der Leyen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo by Sheng Jiapeng, reporter of China News Agency
Based on China and France, radiating Central Europe. During Macron's visit, a special trilateral meeting between China, France and the EU was held. On the afternoon of the 6th, Xi Jinping held a trilateral meeting between China, France and Europe with French President Macron and European Commission President von der Leyen. During the meeting, Xi Jinping once again put China-EU relations in the overall consideration of the world and clearly explained China's "European view". Judging from the information released from the meeting, it has become a consensus not to fall into the trap of "decoupling and breaking the chain", maintain the sustainable development of China-EU relations, and cooperate to cope with global challenges.
Cui Hongjian believes that in the international context of chaos and intertwined, China and France are leading China and the EU to build a new consensus on safeguarding the development of globalization, adhering to the position of multilateralism and promoting the transformation of the multipolar pattern, which will help the "two markets, two forces and two civilizations" of China and the EU once again release huge energy and potential, and inject more positive energy into the world with the cooperation of "building oneself and reaching others". (End)