Wang: China welcomes France as Belt and Road partner

China welcomes France to be an important partner of the Belt and Road international cooperation, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

Wang made the remarks at the 18th session of the consultations of the coordinators for the China-France Strategic Dialogue with Philippe Etienne, foreign policy advisor to the president of France, in Paris on Thursday.

He told Etienne China is willing to strengthen the alignment of policies and development strategies with France, and improve cooperation in exploring the third-party market.

China is also willing to align the Belt and Road Initiative with the European Union's Euro-Asian connectivity strategy, and conduct cooperation with the EU based on the spirit of openness, inclusiveness and transparency, Wang said.

Noting this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Wang said both countries should take it as an opportunity to deepen bilateral ties.

Both sides should give full play to the China-France Strategic Dialogue, strive to promote high-level exchanges and enhance pragmatic cooperation, he noted.

Two-way trade and investment should be boosted between China and France, Wang said, adding that China welcomes France could continue to actively attend the China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai this year, and is ready to import more quality French products in line with the market needs.

He called on the two sides to deepen cooperation in key fields such as nuclear energy, aviation and aerospace, finance, and enhance military, cultural, educational, arts and tourism exchanges.

He also stressed China's readiness to strengthen communication with France within the framework of the United Nations, G20 and the World Trade Organization to safeguard multilateralism for the development of globalization in a more balanced and inclusive way.

Etienne said France is willing to make joint efforts with China to boost bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership through the mechanism like the strategic dialogue.

He said that France supports the EU taking a full part in the international cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative.

His country is ready to strengthen cooperation with China on the fight against unilateralism, G20 agenda, realizing the Paris agreement on climate change and others, and to join hands with China to safeguard the multilateral trading system, Etienne said.