China, France reach consensus on strategic ties

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-27 20:48

BEIJING -- China and France agreed to "cherish and maintain" bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership after series of unhappy incidents in France and recent visits paid by high-level French officials.

Chinese foreign ministry revealed the five-point consensus reached by Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Jean-David Levitte, a diplomatic adviser of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during their Saturday talks.

China and France should view and handle two-way relations from a strategic level and long-term perspective. The two countries should make efforts to remove obstacles and strengthen mutual trust so as to promote healthy and smooth development of the Sino-French relations, according to the consensus.

The French side firmly adheres to the one-China policy, reiterates that Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parts of the Chinese territory, states the Tibet and Taiwan issues are China's internal affairs, and France supports the national reunification of China, the consensus says.

The two sides also touched upon the Olympic issue, saying that Olympic Games serve as a grand activity of sports and friendship of all people in the world. The French side supports and wishes a great success to the Beijing Olympic Games.

France spoke highly on China's increasing big role in solving regional and international issues. The China-France comprehensive strategic partnership could play a bigger role in safeguarding the peace and stability of the world, says the consensus.

The seventh summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) will be held in Beijing in the latter half of this year, when France holds the rotating EU presidency and hosts the 11th China-EU Summit.

The two sides vowed to make joint efforts to push forward the China-EU relations.