Wang Yi and French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne Co-chair the China-France Strategic Dialogue

On January 13, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne co-chaired the 22nd China-France Strategic Dialogue in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The two sides conducted long and in-depth communication and candid exchanges. The two sides agreed that China and France have the same or similar views on a series of major issues, and share common expectations for strengthening bilateral relations. The two sides expressed their willingness to further leverage the strategic leading role of the head-of-state diplomacy, highlight the role of practical cooperation as a pillar in bilateral relations, give play to the exemplary role of China-France relations in China-EU relations, and take France's rotating presidency of the European Union as an opportunity to promote the sound and stable development of China-France and China-EU relations.

Wang Yi first conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to President Emmanuel Macron, and welcomed the French high-level delegation's visit to China to hold a face-to-face strategic dialogue despite the impact of the pandemic. Wang Yi said, in the face of the persistent and unchecked pandemic, accelerating changes unseen in a century and mounting common challenges, as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries with global influence, China and France shoulder important international responsibilities. The year 2021 has seen high-level development of China-France relations. This year, both China and France have important political and diplomatic agendas. The two sides should follow the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, give top priority to serving the head-of-state diplomacy, adhere to the tradition of independent diplomacy, enhance mutual trust through dialogue and consultation, and deepen cooperation in the spirit of mutual benefit, so as to make a good start for both China-France and China-EU relations.

Bonne conveyed President Macron's New Year wishes to President Xi Jinping, saying that France cherishes the friendship between the two heads of state and attaches great importance to the strategic communication between France and China. Both France and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council and play a vital role in promoting peace and security. The two sides have established good mutual trust and coordination, and France looks forward to jointly implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state as well as the ambitious goals they set, and realizing mutual benefit and win-win progress.

The two sides expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of China-France all-round cooperation, and agreed to continue to promote cooperation in fields such as aviation, aerospace, agricultural food products, nuclear energy, third market, and green and digital sectors, and explore cooperation in emerging fields such as big data and cloud computing. The two sides agreed to review the list of cooperation projects and implement joint initiatives and cooperation projects one by one.

Bonne said, France advocates the Olympic spirit and opposes the politicization of sports, and French athletes are looking forward to participating in the Beijing Olympic Winter Games. Wang Yi said, China will facilitate the French side's participation in the Games.

The two sides exchanged views on China-EU relations. Wang Yi stressed, the stable development of China-EU relations accords with the fundamental and long-term interests of Europe. China always believes that Europe, as an independent force, is an important force in the process toward greater multipolarity. China supports European integration, the EU's development and growth, and its greater role in the international arena. No matter whether China-EU relations are in good times or encounter setbacks, this policy will not change. I hope the European side will continue to adhere to an active and pragmatic China policy. Bonne said, Europe will continue its strategic autonomy, and Europe and China should not oppose each other, let alone confront each other. Instead, both sides should further enhance mutual trust, promote cooperation and continue to be high-standard partners. The French side understands the importance and sensitivity of Taiwan-related issues and will abide by the one-China principle.

The two sides also exchanged views on fighting the pandemic and improving global governance. Bonne thanked China for supporting France in fighting the pandemic and appreciated China's positive role in the global combat against the pandemic. The two sides positively evaluated the cooperation between China and France under the framework of COVAX, indicating that the two sides will continue to join hands to fight the pandemic and promote the fair distribution of vaccines around the world. Both sides agreed to uphold multilateralism and strengthen cooperation in tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity.

The two sides also held in-depth discussions on issues related to Afghanistan and Myanmar, as well as the Iranian nuclear issue, among others, and coordinated each other's positions.