BEIJING, May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived Sunday in
Paris for a state visit to
France as the first stop of his
European trip. He received a grand welcome from the French side. At
the same time, President Xi's written speech upon arrival at Paris
Orly airport, the signed article published in French media Le
Figaro, and the China-France-EU
trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen have
continued to spark heated discussions in Western public opinion,
highlighting the significance of this visit at the bilateral,
European and global levels.
President Xi said in his signed article that during his visit to
France, he brought with him three
messages from China: China will work with France to carry forward the spirit that guided
the establishment of their diplomatic ties, build on past
achievements and open new vistas for China-France
relations; China will open even
wider to the world and deepen cooperation with France and other countries; China will strengthen communication and
coordination with France to uphold
world peace and stability. These three messages not only
demonstrate China's concept of
development, security, and civilization in the new era, but also
reflect the strategic, epoch-making and global nature of
China-France relations in the context of a changing
world order.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between China
and France. Sixty years ago, the
two countries broke through the icy barriers of the Cold War,
bridged the gap between camps, and established ambassadorial-level
diplomatic relations, "ripping a slit in an iron plate," pushing
the world toward dialogue and cooperation. Even today, admiration
for the strategic vision and broad-mindedness of that generation of
leaders remains a common sentiment from top to bottom in both
China and France, demonstrating that the strategic
direction of the relationship established at that time was correct
and stood the test of time. President Xi's emphasis of carrying
forward the spirit that guided the establishment of diplomatic
ties, namely the spirit of independence, mutual understanding,
foresight, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, shows that in the
face of profound global transformations and uncertainties, it is
hoped that the two countries can lead the world back to the right
path of cooperation rather than confrontation, to win-win results
rather than zero-sum.
Over the past 60 years, the reason why China-France
relations have consistently remained at the forefront of
China's relations with Western
countries, pioneering many "firsts," is not because they have not
experienced ups and downs, but because they have always focused on
the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and
peoples, jointly safeguarded world peace and stability, and
promoted human development and progress.
Charles de Gaulle once said at a
press conference after the establishment of diplomatic relations
between China and France, "France simply recognizes the world as it is."
He firmly believed in the long history of Chinese civilization and
emphasized that global development cannot be without China. Today, as China deeply integrates into globalization,
just as de Gaulle foresaw, it has a strong willingness and
continues to contribute to global development. China's expansion of high-level openness and
deepening cooperation with other countries, including France, is not a forced choice, but a
conclusion drawn from our own development experience and a natural
result of our development needs. China offers opportunities rather than risks,
and seeks cooperation rather than confrontation. As long as one can
correctly grasp the main thread of comprehensively understanding
China's development, all problems
will be technical and temporary.
France is an influential major
power in the Western world, and its influence stems not only from
its hard power but also from its longstanding tradition of
independence and its unique perspective and vision. The stability
and development of China-France
relations will become a very prominent case in China's relations with the West, helping other
Western countries to understand China's foreign policy and the principles
China upholds when developing
relations with countries of different systems and cultural
backgrounds. The stability of China-France
relations provides more impetus for China-Europe
relations and also helps European countries to understand
China in a rational, pragmatic,
and objective manner and handle their relations with China accordingly.
France was the first Western power
to establish diplomatic relations with China, and China-France
relations have always carried the genes of influencing
international relations and the world order from the very
beginning. Just as President Xi said, "both China and France value independence as two major
countries, and our interactions in the long course of history have
released tremendous energy swaying the trajectory of the world."
Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, we look forward to
China and France embarking on a new journey for the next
60 years of bilateral relations, constantly making new achievements
for global peace and stability as well as human development.
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SOURCE Global Times