CHINESE President Xi Jinping was warmly received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport as he started his third state visit following previous trips in 2014 and 2019.

This visit took place during the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France, giving it significance as an opportunity to build on past achievements and guide the future of bilateral ties.

In the 60 years since, Sino-French relations have set a prime example for countries with different social systems to coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation, Xi said in a written speech Sunday upon his arrival.

China is ready to consolidate the friendship, enhance political mutual trust, build strategic consensus and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields with France, Xi said.

Cooperative opportunities abound

A 2023 survey of French companies in China conducted by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China revealed that many member companies were planning to further invest in China.

“The importance of the Chinese market, from my point of view, has not changed,” Barbara Frei, executive vice president of Schneider Electric, told Xinhua. She voiced confidence in China’s position as a more mature economy and the biggest market in industrial automation and highlighted China’s role as an “innovation driver.”

Her remarks were echoed by Patrick Charignon, vice president for Asia-Pacific of EDF Renewables, a subsidiary of France’s leading electric utility company EDF.

“China, with its immense ambitions in energy transition, and as the world leader in decarbonized energy production capacity, is obviously a very important market for EDF,” said Charignon.

China-France economic and trade cooperation continues to expand. Two-way trade between China and France reached US$78.9 billion in 2023.

China is now France’s largest trading partner in Asia, while France ranks as China’s third-largest trading partner within the European Union (EU).

During a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in April last year, Xi conveyed to Macron China’s readiness to work with France to give French farm produce smooth access to Chinese households’ dining tables. Today, a coordination mechanism that facilitates French imports serves as a successful example of Sino-French cooperation.

“We produce certified and traceable high-quality beef. We still need to communicate that quality to Chinese consumers,” Maxence Bigard, president of INTERBEV, the French interprofessional livestock and meat association, told Xinhua.

Focus on innovations

In recent years, the two countries furthered cooperation on aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, agrifood and green development, said Xi in his written speech Sunday.

In the joint venture established by the Renault Group and the Chinese automotive supplier Minth located in the “Battery Valley” of northern France, two new production lines have begun churning out battery boxes for electric vehicles.

Inside the factory, dozens of welding robots and handling robots work in an orderly manner.

“What really interests us is to have this partnership so that we can benefit from the know-how of these Chinese companies that have made very, very rapid progress, particularly in electric vehicles, and also in upstream technologies,” said Yann Pitollet, CEO of Nord France Invest.

In January, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus opened a whole-lifecycle service center in the city of Chengdu, the firm’s first such center outside Europe.

“Expanding our presence in the Chinese market provides us with new avenues for growth,” said Brian Agnew, general manager of Airbus Lifecycle Services, adding that the Chengdu project is driving Airbus to develop localized services, benefiting Chinese as well as global clients.

In the cosmetics industry, China is home to one of the six global research and innovation centers and one of the three global training centers for French company L’Oreal.

France was the first Western country to cooperate with China on civilian nuclear energy projects. Since then, cooperation has expanded from technical to more forward-looking research.

“The two countries are committed to continuing their nuclear cooperation on cutting-edge research and development, in particular on the basis of the agreement between the Atomic Energy Authority of China and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission,” said a joint statement between China and France in 2023.

Luo Qingping, chairman of the China Institute of Nuclear Industry Strategy (CINIS), told Xinhua that over the past year, CINIS has conducted forward-looking nuclear research in collaboration with EDF.

Win-win platforms

In the video speech marking the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties, Xi said the two countries should “pool cooperation forces and share development opportunities through openness.”

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) has become a gateway for French goods to enter the Chinese market. The 7th CIIE this year has once again invited France as the guest of honor. Pascale Thieffry, director of the French Pavilion department at Business France, said that the CIIE has greatly promoted bilateral trade.

In France, the International Agriculture Fair (Salon de l’Agriculture) in Paris also serves as a channel for Chinese agricultural products to reach locals. The Chinese Pavilion made its debut at this annual event, held this February and March, showcasing specialties such as dried wolfberries and citrus peel tea, as well as Chinese handicrafts like paper-cutting and shadow puppets. The booth attracted many French buyers to seek cooperation.

Li Mingtao, head of the research institute at the China International Electronic Commerce Center, said in the past two years, e-commerce platforms have prompted many small French enterprises to explore the Chinese market.

A study by SDA Bocconi School of Management in Italy shows that from 2019 to 2022, French exports to China on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and Taobao Global amounted to 41 billion euros (US$44 billion), roughly equivalent to the total of those from Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu have boosted Chinese exports to France, offering high-quality and affordable products to French consumers.

Third-party market cooperation between China and France also continues to grow. Stellantis Group, the fusion of Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group, invested 1.5 billion euros in October last year to acquire about 20% of the shares of Chinese electric vehicle company Leapmotor Technology. The newly established joint venture has started production of electric vehicles in Italy and Poland, among other places.

In the Republic of the Congo, China, France and the Central African country jointly undertake the concession operation project for No. 1 National Highway, significantly boosting local employment and improving people’s living.

(Xinhua)