Sound momentum in Sino-French ties

That Sino-French relations are among the best between China and any other Western country is attested to by the frequent in-depth communications and exchanges between the two countries' leaders and high-level officials aimed at maintaining mutual trust and expanding consensus.

How to deepen pragmatic economic and trade cooperation and promote greater development of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership in the new year was at the top of the agenda during the latest talks between State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna via video link on Monday.

Their interaction came less than two months after they had a phone conversation on Nov 1, during which Wang updated his French counterpart on the achievements of the just-concluded 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Before that, they also met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September, and during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in July. All this underscores the great significance the two countries attach to their mutually beneficial relations.

The stable development of China-France relations has withstood the test of times despite the fast-changing international landscape. This can be attributed to the two countries seeing eye to eye with each other on many important international issues ranging from climate change to economic globalization. Also, both are committed to peace and development, and are key forces in support of a multipolar world.

Which explains why the two countries have enjoyed so many "firsts" in Sino-Western relations. For example, France was the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations with China in 1964, and in 1973, Georges Pompidou became the first Western head of state to visit China. The two countries established a "comprehensive strategic partnership" in 2004, which was the first between China and a Western country.

Over the years, China and France have forged strong economic interdependency. Now that China has optimized and adjusted its pandemic prevention and control measures, as Wang told Colonna on Monday, the country's economic prospects will become more promising, and its super-large market potential will be released faster, offering fresh opportunities to other countries including France.

The two sides should seize the chance to expand two-way trade and investment, while working to keep global industry and supply chains stable and smooth, in a joint effort to help promote the global economic recovery.

Consolidating and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries can create a touchstone of stability amid the turmoil and turbulence roiling the world.