In a significant meeting at the Elysée Palace in Paris on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. The leaders agreed to consolidate strategic stability, explore mutually beneficial cooperation, accelerate people-to-people exchanges, and build greater consensus on global collaboration.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. The Xi-Macron consensus is poised to inject new momentum into bilateral ties, focusing on both the historical foundations and future prospects of the partnership.
President Xi highlighted that China and France have no geopolitical conflicts or clashes of fundamental interests, paving the way for a successful Beijing-Paris relationship. During the visit, the two nations signed nearly 20 bilateral cooperation documents covering green development, aviation, agri-food, commerce, and people-to-people exchanges.
The partnership is set to expand in both breadth and depth. A notable initiative is the "French farm to Chinese dining table" mechanism, which aims to bring more French agricultural products like cheese, ham, and wine to Chinese households. Currently, France is the largest source of agricultural imports from the EU to China, with 2023 imports reaching 46.95 billion yuan ($6.5 billion), a 50.5% increase from 2019.
France has also secured its position as the top supplier of wine and spirits to the Chinese market, accounting for roughly 30% of China's wine imports. Jerome Cottin-Bizonne, Managing Director of Pernod Ricard’s China division, stated that the vast Chinese market and consumers' appetite for diverse offerings present significant opportunities for French businesses.
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Against headwinds, Xi-Macron meeting gives impetus to bilateral ties
cgtn.com
