It’s not all divisions and tensions between China and the West

At a time when the world seems beset by intractable problems and rising tensions, the positive tone of Wednesday’s telephone conversation between President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, was a welcome tonic to the general mood of pessimism that prevailed at the start of the year.

As well as ensuring the healthy upward trajectory of Sino-French ties, with multiple agreements reached on deepening their cooperation in areas such as agriculture, green manufacturing, finance, aviation and third-party markets, the two leaders also underscored the two countries’ mutual desire to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership by carrying out dialogues to enhance their cooperation in the space, cyber, polar and maritime fields, as well as boost their military dialogues and exchanges at all levels.

Thanks to the efforts of both sides, bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful results in recent years despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, bilateral trade exceeded $80 billion, and China’s total imports of agricultural products from France increased by 40 percent year-on-year. As France holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first six months of this year, the reinforcing of friendly Sino-French ties can also contribute to the positive development of China’s relations with the bloc as a whole.

By holding a correct understanding of each other, and adhering to mutual respect, dialogue and cooperation, the two sides can work together to establish more common ground and steer China-EU relations in the right direction for new development and mutual benefits, as Xi said.

Xi commended France for enhancing the solidarity of the bloc and strengthening its strategic autonomy, and told Macron that China is ready to work with France to make a success of the China-EU Leaders’ Meeting and a new round of high-level dialogues aimed at promoting greater alignment.

Since Xi and Macron have both had recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the two leaders also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis, with Xi reiterating that a comprehensive settlement of the Ukraine issue should be pursued through dialogue and consultation. They also exchanged views on the on-going negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, to which both countries are party, agreeing to step up their joint efforts to ensure the talks yield satisfactory results.

As Macron said, the current international situation is fraught with tension. The resolve of China and France to stand together and forge more common ground sets a good example for countries to tide over this difficult time through unity and cooperation. That is a sorely needed roborant.

Editorial, China Daily