French experts say Xi's visit a boost to bilateral ties

PARIS, May 14 (Xinhua) -- French officials and experts said that the state visit to France by Chinese President Xi Jinping last week was a boost to the development of bilateral relations.

"On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, President Xi Jinping chose France as the first stop" on this trip to Europe, said Eric Alauzet, president of the France-China Friendship Group of the French National Assembly in a blog post.

The two countries have a special responsibility to lead the international community in tackling the global issues of climate, biodiversity, global health and poverty, the French deputy and acupuncture doctor said.

Noting China "is deeply attached to peace," he said that China "remains and will remain a decisive partner for France and the European Union in a world that we want to be multipolar and balanced, neither unilateral with the domination by the United States, nor bloc against bloc between the 'West' and the 'Global South.'"

Jacques Cheminade, chairman of the French political party Solidarity and Progress, hailed Xi's visit to France as "a step forward towards peace in the world where a conflict between blocs threatens to degenerate into all-out war."

"(The visit means) the inclusivity of partnerships versus the exclusivism of oligarchy," he wrote on X.

"It is precisely because we Europeans have substantial concerns, strategic as well as economic and commercial, that we need to maintain an intense dialogue with China in order to take the right decisions," wrote former French Ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud in a column in "Le Point" magazine.

"Otherwise, we'd be sidelined by the United States and forced to follow its lead," warned the veteran diplomat.

French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand noticed that during Xi's visit, France and China signed 18 cooperation agreements between government agencies covering aviation, agriculture, people-to-people exchanges, green development and SME cooperation, proving that the two countries shared "similar views" and that the visit had been "productive."

"Europe should have its own voice, its own independent way of having foreign relations," he stressed.

Lyazid Benhami, vice president of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship, said: "The historic meeting between the two heads of state on the occasion of 60 years of diplomatic relations opens a new cycle of exceptional cooperation between France and China."

"Many challenges lie ahead," Benhami said. "Our two countries share a common destiny -- the promotion of peace and development in the world ... We should stay in favor of sustained dialogue and the pursuit of long-term mutual interests."