China, France should join hands to build a multipolar world: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on the sidelines of the ongoing Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and France should strengthen dialogue and cooperation and make concerted efforts to build a multipolar world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday.

Facing a comeback of the Cold War mentality and rising danger of bloc confrontation, China and France, both being independent major countries with global influence, should work together towards the building of a multipolar world that is peaceful, stable, equal and orderly, Wang said while meeting with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on the sidelines of the ongoing Munich Security Conference.

Six decades ago, China and France broke the ice of the Cold War to establish diplomatic ties and steer the international landscape in the right direction of dialogue and cooperation, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

He added that bilateral relations are now maintaining a sound momentum of development.

Noting that the two countries should embark on the next 60 years of relations with a positive and uplifting attitude, Wang said China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with France, make good preparations for another meeting under the three high-level dialogue mechanisms -- namely the strategic dialogue, the economic and financial dialogue and the dialogue on people-to-people exchanges -- and strengthen parliamentary exchanges.

China and France should take their 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the Year of Culture and Tourism as opportunities to foster further people-to-people exchanges, promote mutual understanding and deepen friendship between the two peoples, Wang said. He called for more direct flights to facilitate personnel exchanges.

He said China supports France in hosting a successful Paris Olympics.

Pragmatic cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results, Wang said. He urged the two sides to enhance communication and further unleash the potential of their cooperation.

China welcomes more quality farm produce from France under the mechanism "from French farms to Chinese tables," Wang said. He also expressed hope that the French side would provide a fair, transparent and sound business environment for Chinese enterprises in France.

China and France both support multilateralism and should support each other's multilateral initiatives, Wang said, expressing hope that France would play a constructive role in the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations.

Sejourne noted the great significance of the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations, stressing that France is willing to take this opportunity to enhance high-level exchanges and expand cooperation with China in diverse fields such as trade and economy, people-to-people exchanges, tourism, new energy, tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity.

The French side reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy, stressed its strategic independence and voiced its opposition to decoupling and severing of supply chains.

The two sides also exchanged views on a series of international and regional issues.