Diplomat lauds Xi's historic trip to France

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to France will be historic and an exceptional opportunity for Beijing and Paris to elevate their strategic partnership to a new level, the Chinese ambassador to France said.

"Both leaders are going to review the achievements in bilateral relations in the past 50 years and they will also jointly lay out their vision and plan for our future relations," Zhai Jun said at a recent news briefing in Paris.

In his first trip to France as president, Xi is expected to meet his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, on March 26 at the Elysee Palace to mark the 50th anniversary of Sino-French relations.

The two presidents will also witness the signing of a series of bilateral business and investment agreements, including the $1.1 billion investment of Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corp into French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen, the largest foreign stock acquisition so far by a Chinese State-owned company.

Zhai said that Beijing and Paris are advocates of independent diplomacy and keen promoters of a multipolar world and cultural diversity, which provide a solid basis for the special and strategic partnership between China and France.

France was the first major Western power to break the Cold War mindset and establish diplomatic relations with the new Chinese government, in 1964. France was also the first country to have nuclear cooperation with China in the 1980s. In 2004, the two countries elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Because of these special features of Sino-French relations, both countries treat each other as priority partners," Zhai said.

"China and France shoulder a lot of international responsibilities as we both are permanent members of the UN Security Council," he said, adding that the two countries have extensive common ground on which to cooperate as both of them are facing crucial reforms to transform their current growth models at home.

Commenting on Sino-French economic relations, Zhai said that China and France should jointly explore new opportunities in the fields of green urban development, agricultural product processing, health, digital economy, alternative energy and sustainable development.

Before heading to the Elysee Palace in Paris, Xi will first pay a visit to Lyon where he will visit the Sino-French Institute. It was the first institute that China set up overseas, which hosted nearly 500 students from 1921 to 1946 who went there to study, hoping to modernize their own country by learning from the West.

Then-Chinese leaders Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yi were frequent visitors to Lyon, drawn to the institute to engage in discussions about political ideas and to contribute to local student movements.

"Lyon has played an important role in Sino-French relations and it remains an active player of local cooperation between our two countries," Zhai said.

In addition, Zhai emphasized that Beijing and Paris should deepen their cooperation in the areas of culture, science and technology and continue to strengthen communications among young people, thereby cementing a solid foundation for future Sino-French relations.