Photo: CFP

French President Emmanuel Macron met China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday (local time) at the Elysee Palace where Wang said China always considers France as a priority partner for cooperation, and is willing to further advance high-level exchanges with the European nation. 

China and France helped each other in combatting the COVID-19 outbreak. China's economy has been recovering fast and the Chinese society has resumed normalcy, Wang Yi told Macron. The Chinese side is willing to resume all-field exchanges with the French side. 

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is scheduled to visit France, Italy, Hungary and Russia from Tuesday to February 22 at the invitation of the governments of the four countries, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Monday.

Macron emphasized that the French side attaches the importance to France-China relations and believes that there is a great significance to strengthen strategic dialogue between the two countries. Facing an increasingly complex international situation, the two countries should work together to maintain stability and balance, uphold multilateralism and reject bloc-led confrontation, according to a statement published by the Chinese Embassy in France. 

The French side hopes to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the fields of climate change, biodiversity and marine protection, Macron said. 

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on the Ukraine issue. The Chinese diplomat emphasized that on the issue, China adheres to an objective and fair position and is always committed to promoting peace and dialogue. 

China attaches great importance to France's role as an independent major country, and is willing to work with the international community, including France, to explore a political solution and achieve a ceasefire and cessation of war as soon as possible, Wang Yi said. 

Chinese experts believe that the key of Wang's trip to four European countries and the attendance of the upcoming Munich Security Conference is to convey China's vision on security in a face-to-face manner to not only Europe but also the world. And China is expected to mediate and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks. 

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times recently, the Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye said despite differences, we hope that China and Europe will, in the spirit of seeking common ground while reserving differences and overcoming difficulties together, take the opportunity of China's optimization and adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies to accelerate the restart of China-EU high-level exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to revive China-EU relations.

Chinese officials and experts also believe that in 2023, there will be more high-level interactions between China and Europe. 

Special Representative Wu Hongbo of the Chinese government on European affairs also visited the headquarters of the EU from Sunday to Monday. Chinese and EU officials exchanged the views on China-EU relations, high-level exchanges and regional and global issues of concern, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

The two sides agreed to enhance China-EU communication and properly handle the differences, and jointly tackle global challenges. 

Global Times