Sino-French relationship expected to hit new level

Top leaders from China and France will meet to further deepen bilateral ties and expand cooperation, said Zhai Jun, Chinese ambassador to France at a press conference on June 25, ahead of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to France and Belgium this week.

Zhai said the visit is regarded as very important by both the Chinese and French governments. During his visit, Li will meet officials including French President Francois Hollande, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, the presidents of the French Senate and National Assembly and industrial businesspeople from the two countries. The visit is expected to promote Sino-French cooperation in various fields.

Zhai said, with celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations last year and President Xi Jinping's visit to France, the relationship between the two nations has entered a new stage of development.

Although this year marks 50 years of friendship between China and France, the development in bilateral ties and cooperation is gaining in momentum. However, the current international economic recovery is slow and both China and France face tough tasks, including deepening reforms, developing economically and improving people's livelihood, Zhai explained.

"The common aspirations of China and France is to combine the two countries' different needs and advantages to promote and consolidate mutual cooperation, to push the Sino-French relationship toward a new level," he added.

Premier Li's visit has four main purposes. Firstly, it hopes to strengthen exchanges between the two countries' leaders and to deepen strategic cooperation; secondly, it hopes to transform China-France cooperation into a more pragmatic cooperation; thirdly, it will boost people-to-people dialogue and to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people; fourth, it will give a platform to exchange views on major international issues, encouraging cooperation between China and France in the international arena.

According to Zhai, the new features of the China-France relationship can be summarized into three aspects.

He said that firstly it is at a "new starting point". Although this year marks 50 years of Sino-French friendship, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries is continuing to expand. The relationship is expected to make a qualitative leap in all fields this year, according to Zhai.

Secondly, the relationship is gaining a "new dynamic". As well as the governments' efforts, enterprises and people from the two countries are becoming a new impetus for the bilateral relationship. Chinese companies continue to raise investment in France and new models of cooperation are created consistently, Zhai said.

"French people, especially the younger generation, are very enthusiastic in pushing forward the development of the China-France relationship," he said.

Thirdly, the relationship creates a "new opportunity". China's economy has entered a "new normal" phase, with the economic proportion of consumption and service continuing to increase, while innovation will become an important engine of China's economic growth.

Zhai stressed that France has advantages in these areas and can provide experience for China's economic transformation. Therefore, China's new economy trend will also be a new opportunity for the two countries' cooperation, he said.

Several issues will be discussed during Li's visit, not only regarding bilateral affairs, but also international ones, such as how to develop a third-party market, how to enhance cooperation on important projects and innovation, how to promote two-way investment and personnel exchanges and major international issues such as climate change and global governance.

"Communication and coordination between the two countries is expected from both sides. Through the visit, the Chinese and French governments will sign a series of cooperation agreements," Zhai said.

tuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/30/2015 page24)