China-France ties have global significance, China ready to expand two-way opening-up -- Chinese premier

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives at the Paris Orly Airport in Paris, France, June 21, 2023. At the invitation of the French government, Li arrived at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday afternoon by chartered plane to pay an official visit to France and attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. Guards of honor lined up on both sides of the red carpet and saluted the guests. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin greeted him at the airport. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

PARIS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Wednesday that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major country with an independent spirit, is a comprehensive strategic partner of China, and China-France relations have maintained a high level of development and always carried global significance that goes far beyond the bilateral scope.

In April this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron reached a series of strategic consensuses, outlining a beautiful blueprint for China-France comprehensive strategic partnership and pointing out the direction for China-France cooperation at bilateral, China-Europe and global levels, Li said upon his arrival in Paris for an official visit to France.

The premier said China is ready to work with France to expand two-way opening-up, build more resilient industrial and supply chains between China and France and between China and Europe, deepen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development, so as to inject new impetus into the sustained, sound and steady growth of China-France relations, and inject more confidence and strength into world peace, stability and development.

China is ready to work with France to turn the blueprint for the development of China-France relations drawn up by the two countries' heads of state into working plans and reality, Li said.

At the invitation of the French government, Li arrived at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday afternoon by chartered plane to pay an official visit to France and attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong, among other accompanying officials, arrived on the same plane.

As Li walked down the gangway, guards of honor lined up on both sides of the red carpet and saluted the guests. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye greeted him at the airport.

During his stay in France, Li will meet with Macron, hold talks with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, meet with French Senate President Gerard Larcher, attend a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities and visit French companies.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Chinese premier paid a visit to the innovation hub of Schneider Electric in Paris. He listened to the introduction by Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman and CEO of the firm, on the French firm and its cooperation with China.

He was also given a tour of such representative products as smart robots and the "open automation" platform, and video-linked to the Group's Normandy factory to learn about the company's future development plans.

Li said he hoped that the company would deepen its development in the Chinese market and continue to innovate on cooperation models.

China has a large market, a full range of supporting facilities and many talents, Li said, adding that investing in China will definitely bring rich returns.

Jean-Pascal Tricoire said that his company has been a witness, contributor and beneficiary of China's reform and opening up, and that it is optimistic about China's development and will continue to invest in China and actively participate in China's green infrastructure and the Belt and Road development.

Li arrived in Paris after concluding the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and paying an official visit to Germany. When Li left Munich, government representatives of the Bavaria state and Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken saw him off at the airport.