Xi Jinping's speech at the closing ceremony of the sixth meeting of the China-France Entrepreneurs Committee
Carry on the past and open up the future, and join hands to create a new era of Sino-French cooperation
——At the sixth meeting of the Sino-French Entrepreneurs Committee
After a year, I am very happy to attend the Sino-French Entrepreneurs Committee meeting with President Macron again and meet old and new friends from the business circles of the two countries. This is my first time in Paris after 5 years. First of all, I would like to extend my sincere greetings to the representatives from both sides! Congratulations on the complete success of the sixth meeting of the China-France Entrepreneurs Committee!
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Sixty years is a cycle of sixty years in the traditional Chinese calendar, which means carrying on the past and forging ahead into the future.
Over the past 60 years, China and France have been sincere friends. Upholding the spirit of independence, mutual understanding, foresight, and mutual benefit in establishing diplomatic relations, the two countries have gone through an extraordinary journey together and established a close and lasting comprehensive strategic partnership. Sino-French relations have always been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries and have become It is a model for countries with different civilizations, different systems and different levels of development to achieve mutual success and move forward together. The friendship between China and France is not only a blessing to the Chinese and French people, but also a blessing to the people of the world.
For 60 years, China and France have been win-win partners. Bilateral trade and investment range from less to more. Bilateral trade volume has increased nearly 800 times since the beginning of diplomatic relations, reaching 78.9 billion U.S. dollars, and the cumulative two-way investment volume has exceeded 26 billion U.S. dollars. More than 2,000 French companies are deeply involved in the Chinese market. China has become France's largest trading partner outside the EU. , France is China’s main trading partner in the EU. A number of representative projects, such as the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and the Airbus A320 final assembly line in Tianjin, have become models of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. The two countries also actively discuss expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as green and low-carbon, digital economy, and cross-border e-commerce. After 60 years of development, the economies of China and France have formed a strong symbiotic relationship in which we have each other and we have you.
China and France both belong to the Eurasian continent, one is at the east end and the other is at the west end; one is an important representative of Eastern civilization and the other is an important representative of Western civilization. China and France have no geopolitical contradictions or fundamental conflicts of interest. They share a spiritual resonance of independence, are attracted by each other's splendid cultures, and have pragmatic cooperation with broad interests. With history to draw lessons from and reality to rely on, there is no reason why China and France cannot develop their bilateral relations well. Standing at a new crossroads of human development and facing the ups and downs of a century of changes in the world, China is willing to intensify all-round exchanges and cooperation with France to push China-France relations to a higher level and achieve greater results.
——Facing the future, we are willing to work with France to enrich the economic and trade connotation of China-France comprehensive strategic partnership. France was one of the first countries to participate in China's reform and opening up process, and has contributed to and benefited from China's modernization drive. To deepen friendship, we need to have frequent exchanges and strengthen cooperation. We have always regarded France as a priority and reliable partner, and are committed to expanding the breadth and depth of bilateral economic and trade relations, opening up new areas, creating new models, and cultivating new growth points. China is willing to continue to actively use the "from French farm to Chinese table" full-chain rapid coordination mechanism to allow more high-quality French agricultural products such as cheese, ham, and wine to appear on the tables of Chinese people. China has decided to extend the visa-free policy for short-term visits to China for citizens of 12 countries including France until the end of 2025, which will help promote personnel exchanges between the two countries.
——Facing the future, we are willing to work with France to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe. China and Europe are two major forces promoting multipolarity, two major markets that support globalization, and two major civilizations that advocate diversity. China-EU relations are related to world peace, stability, and prosperity. Both sides should adhere to the correct positioning of the comprehensive strategic partnership, continuously enhance political mutual trust, eliminate all kinds of interference, and jointly oppose the politicization, ideologicalization and pan-security of economic and trade issues. We hope that the EU and China will meet each other halfway, enhance understanding through dialogue, resolve differences through cooperation, and eliminate risks through mutual trust, so as to build China and the EU into key partners for each other's economic and trade cooperation, priority partners for scientific and technological cooperation, and trusted partners for industrial and supply chain cooperation. . China will independently expand the opening of telecommunications, medical and other service industries to the outside world, further open the market, and create more market opportunities for companies from various countries, including French and European companies.
——Facing the future, we are willing to work with France to respond to global challenges. In today's world, the peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit continue to increase. As both major independent countries and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and France should shoulder responsibilities and missions, respond to world uncertainties with the stability of China-France relations, strengthen coordination at the United Nations, provide more guidance and support for global governance, and promote equality and mutual benefit. A multi-polar world. China and France should practice true multilateralism, comprehensively and in-depth promote the reform of the World Trade Organization, maintain the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization as the core, promote the construction of an open world economy, and promote inclusive and inclusive economic globalization. China and France should promote the international community to form a joint force, adhere to the goals and principle framework set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement, actively respond to climate change, promote the global process of biodiversity protection, and jointly protect our planet, our home.
Reform and opening up is the most significant feature and the most magnificent event in contemporary China. Currently, China is promoting in-depth reform and high-quality development with a high level of opening up, transforming and upgrading traditional industries, cultivating and strengthening emerging industries, laying out and building future industries, and accelerating the development of new productive forces. We are planning and implementing major measures to further comprehensively deepen reforms, steadily expand institutional opening up, further expand market access, and reduce the negative list for foreign investment access. This will provide broader market space for countries around the world, including France, and bring about broader market space. Come to more opportunities for win-win cooperation. French entrepreneurs here are welcome to actively participate in the Chinese-style modernization process and share the opportunities of China's development.
In just over two months, the beautiful banks of the Seine will usher in the grand Paris Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are a symbol of unity and friendship and the crystallization of mutual learning among civilizations. Let us stick to the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations, continue traditional friendship, practice the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger, and More United", join hands to create a new era of Sino-French cooperation, and jointly write a new chapter of a community with a shared future for mankind!
