BEIJING: China and France, on Thursday, signed a series of agreements including civilian nuclear energy, according to Global Times.
During a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to China, both countries decided to deepen the cooperation in traditional areas such as aviation, aerospace and civilian nuclear energy, and cultivate new growth drivers in cooperation such as green development and scientific and technological innovation, including building a China-France carbon neutrality centre and strengthening joint training of talent.
At China’s invitation, France will be a guest of honour country at the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services and the seventh China International Import Expo.
According to Xinhua, the two countries are committed to providing a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for each other’s companies.
Macron was accompanied by a business delegation of more than 60 executives from a range of French companies, according to Global Times.
Notably, a few weeks ago, France governmnet banned the Chinese video-sharing application TikTok on government devices, amid security concerns.
On April 5, Macron addressed the French community in China, the Elysee Palace said in a statement. He began by saluting the medical and nursing staff and the management of French schools and teachers for their sense of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, Macron spoke about the objectives of his visit to China.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that he wants to engage China in shared responsibility for peace and stability, strengthen the trade ties between France and China and reinitiate a common framework for action on major international issues such as the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
Macron recalled the importance of reviving cultural ties between France and China in 2023 to prepare for the year 2024, which will be the year of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the year of Franco-Chinese cultural tourism and the year of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and China., according to the Elysee Palace statement.
French President visited the RedBrick museum in Beijing to attend the opening of the 17th edition of the Festival Croisements. He noted that this festival remains the largest foreign festival in China with 15 million spectators since its creation, according to the statement.
Earlier on April 4, Emmanuel Macron held a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden. During the phone call, the two leaders had spoken about Macron’s visit to China. (ANI)