Macron visit brings fruitful results for China, France

Cooperation enhanced in nuclear power, aerospace and people-to-people exchanges, while Belt and Road gets a boost

French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to China has brought fruitful outcomes for the two countries' cooperation in such areas as nuclear power, aerospace, finance and people-to-people exchanges.

The visit, from Jan 8 to 10, was Macron's first trip to Asia since taking office in May last year. He is the first foreign head of state to visit China in 2018, as well as the first European leader to visit China since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

During the visit, Macron held talks with President Xi Jinping, and the two leaders witnessed the signing of 20 cooperation documents at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Macron also met with Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang.

The two presidents also met with entrepreneurs who attended the first meeting of the Chinese-French council of entrepreneurs and made speeches.

Before his visit to Beijing, Macron visited Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, where he visited the Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum.

During the visit, Macron gave Xi a horse of the elite French Republican Guard as a gift. The choice of the gift, an "unprecedented diplomatic gesture" according to the French presidency, was made after the Chinese president expressed his fascination for the 104 horsemen who escorted him during his visit to Paris in 2014.

It is the first time France has offered one of the elite cavalry corps' horses and is also a response to China's "panda diplomacy", after Macron's wife, Brigitte, became the godmother of a Chinese panda lent by Beijing to a zoo near Paris, according to a Business Insider report.

Macron told reporters that before traveling to Beijing, he had traveled to the zoo to take a look at the pandas as a gesture of boosting mutual trust.

While meeting with the media on Jan 9, Xi called on the two countries to uphold the concept of openness and mutual benefits, deepen cooperation in traditional areas such as nuclear power and aerospace, and expand cooperation in new businesses, including artificial intelligence and digital economy.

The two sides also agreed to enhance international cooperation, maintain the principles of the United Nations, jointly safeguard multilateralism and jointly deal with global challenges including climate change and terrorism, Xi said.

Macron said he expected to boost mutual trust with China in the next five years during his presidential term. He expressed gratitude for China's support of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Substantial cooperation

On Jan 9, the French nuclear and renewable energy group New AREVA signed a memorandum of commercial agreement with China National Nuclear Corp on nuclear cooperation.

The memorandum was among 20 cooperation documents. Xi and Macron witnessed the signing.

The project will build a Chinese recycling plant capable of reprocessing metric 800 tons of used fuel per year, the company said in a news release.

"Substantial progress" has been made in the past few months on the negotiations for a contract, said New AREVA, adding that both sides are committed to launching the project this year.

Another memorandum was signed between China's National Development and Reform Commission and Airbus to expand their industrial cooperation in North China's Tianjin.

By the end of 2017, the total output from the cooperation between Airbus and Chinese companies had reached $592 million, compared with $120 million in 2010, according to Airbus.

While talking with Macron, Xi called on the two countries to deepen strategic cooperation in traditional areas such as nuclear energy and aerospace, nurture new growth points of cooperation and promote cooperation in emerging areas including agriculture and food, health and medical services, urban sustainable development, green manufacturing and finance.

Xi called for integrating the development strategies of China and France, strengthening innovative cooperation and achieving common development in the areas of digital economy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing industry.

The French president called on both sides to enhance cooperation on aerospace and nuclear energy, and promote exchanges in education and culture, in order to open a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

"The EU is currently facing new development, and France stands ready to promote EU-China cooperation," he said.

While meeting with entrepreneurs from both sides, Xi stressed that the Chinese economy is still a major powerhouse and stabilizer of global economic growth.

China will continue to implement the concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, stick to the basic state policy of opening-up and seek high-quality development, Xi said.

China is ready to work with France and Europe to adhere to two-way opening-up and improve the global economic governance system, Xi added.

During Macron's visit, China and France also agreed to enhance cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative's framework.

Macron said France attaches importance to bilateral cooperation within the Belt and Road framework, and he hopes his visit to China will promote exchanges and dialogue in all fields between the two countries.

"I believe that the Belt and Road Initiative will have substantial influence and bring stability and development for countries along the routes," Macron said while jointly meeting the media with Xi.

The French president expressed willingness to enhance cooperation with China on building the Belt and Road to help countries along the routes to achieve development.

He also called on joint efforts to build a green Silk Road to develop new energies for countries along the routes and decrease carbon emission.

Xi said the two countries "should seize new opportunities created by the Belt and Road Initiative", and he called for practical cooperation within the Belt and Road framework to promote the prosperity of the Eurasian region.

Xi stressed that China and France should combat global challenges together in climate change, terrorism and cybersecurity for a peaceful and stable world, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

"China and France, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and influential major countries, should jointly shoulder their special responsibilities," Xi said.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 01/12/2018 page14)