China, France agree to promote multilateralism, bring more certainty to world

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, pledging to jointly promote multilateralism and strengthen coordination against hegemonic conflicts and bloc confrontation.

During their meeting at the Elysee Palace, Macron asked Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, to convey his best wishes and friendly regards to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Macron noted that France and China share a broad consensus on numerous important issues, including advocating multilateralism and adhering to international laws. France and China, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, bear even greater responsibilities as today's world is facing challenges of growing uncertainty and unpredictability.

The French side looks forward to strengthening policy coordination with China on international economic, financial, and global governance issues, jointly addressing global challenges, injecting more vitality into multilateralism, and preventing the world from falling into hegemonic conflicts and bloc confrontations, Macron said.

He said the European Union and China should make strategic choices to become each other's predictable and trustworthy friends and partners on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The French side places great importance on developing France-China relations and welcomes more Chinese investment to France to develop a more balanced economic and trade relationship.

He expressed hope to visit China again at an appropriate time.

Wang conveyed President Xi's warm regards to Macron, stating that China is willing to work with France to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, prepare for high-level exchanges in the next phase, and deepen cooperation in all fields.

China and France are comprehensive strategic partners and two major stabilizing forces in the world, Wang noted, stressing that the more turbulent the international situation becomes, the more the strategic value of China-France relations is highlighted.

China believes that the trend of multi-polarization is unstoppable, and the trend of globalization is irreversible, Wang said, emphasizing that the 80th anniversary of the United Nations should be taken as an opportunity to further strengthen the UN's core role and ensure it plays its due role.

He said China is willing to strengthen strategic communication and united cooperation with France, jointly practice multilateralism, oppose unilateral bullying, and resist bloc confrontations, so as to inject more certainty and predictability into a world of change and turmoil, promote equal and orderly multi-polarization and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

He stated that China is advancing toward high-quality development, committed to building a new, higher-level open economic system, creating a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, while actively advancing the strategy of expanding domestic demand.

China is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with France and hopes that the French side will provide a more favorable and fairer environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in France, he said.

China and the EU have resolved the brandy issue through friendly consultations, noted Wang, expressing the hope that France, as a core major power in the EU, will urge the EU side to properly address China-EU trade and economic disputes and actively respond to China's concerns.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, the Gaza situation, the Iranian nuclear issue, and other topics.