BEIJING – China hopes France can “stabilise the tone” of European Union-China relations, Vice-Premier He Lifeng told his French counterpart in Beijing on Saturday, as European leaders debate how to balance “de-risking” and cooperating with the world’s second-largest economy.
He also told French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire that China is willing to deepen cooperation with France in traditional areas such as finance as well as in science and technological innovation, as the two sides meet for their ninth Economic and Financial Dialogue.
“It is hoped that France will stabilise the tone of friendly cooperation between China and the EU,” Mr He said during opening remarks to an afternoon of discussions at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, adding that China believes its bilateral ties with France “have a good foundation”.
China and France both welcome the recent trial certification of an Airbus helicopter and aircraft, Mr He said, adding that Beijing will also support the coordination of civil aviation departments to restore airline connectivity between both countries.
Mr He also said China appreciates France’s decision to extend 5G licences in some French cities to Chinese tech giant Huawei.
China is France’s third-largest trade partner behind the EU and the United States, but French companies are becoming increasingly concerned that they could get caught in the crossfire of rising economic rivalry between the two economic superpowers.
EU governments in June also approved an 11th tranche of sanctions against Russia that could hit Chinese companies considered to be circumventing measures that were already in place.
Mr Le Maire said the three challenges the two countries should work together on are the green transition, re-organisation of value chains and technological revolution. He also raised market access issues for French companies in the banking, nuclear, cosmetics and agricultural industries.
“It is essential to think about the expansion and deepening of economic and financial cooperation between France and China,” he said. “We would like to welcome major new investments from China to French territory.”
Mr He told his guests the meeting was a “positive signal that China and France will work together to address challenges and inject stability into an uncertain world”, which has “accelerated into a new situation of instability and uncertainty” not seen in a hundred years. REUTERS
