China ready to strengthen high-level exchanges with France, says Wang Yi

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with France, give play to the leading role of head-of-state diplomacy, and add new connotations to the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, a senior Chinese official said on Saturday.

Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks over a phone call with French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne.

He said China is willing to push bilateral cooperation with France in various fields to a new level, and give play to the important role of the two major countries in dealing with global challenges.

Wang said that China and France both insist on independence and win-win cooperation, both oppose the division of the world and bloc confrontation, and both practice multilateralism and uphold the UN Charter and international law.

Noting that the current international situation is complex and volatile, with numerous challenges and hot spots emerging one after another, he said the international community expects China and France to form a common position and speak with same voice on major issues bearing on world peace and stability, as well as the future and destiny of mankind.

It is hoped that the French side will push the European Union to continue to pursue a positive and pragmatic policy toward China, Wang added.

For his part, Bonne said France is willing to take the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries as an opportunity to intensify high-level exchanges, deepen mutual trust, strengthen practical cooperation and strive for mutual benefit and win-win results.

The two sides should work together to cool down hot spot issues, cope with global challenges including climate change, make positive contributions to narrowing the North-South gap and rejecting bloc confrontation, and push for further development of France-China and Europe-China relations, he said.

The two sides agreed to cooperate on the development of artificial intelligence, continue to strengthen coordination on tackling climate change, and further refine the successful practice of "from French farm to Chinese dinner table," so as to provide a good environment for enterprises of both sides to invest and do business in each other's countries.

The two sides also coordinated on international and regional issues of common concern such as the Ukraine issue and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.