CaliToday (16/10/2025): China has signaled a strong desire to bolster its strategic relationship with France, urging deeper mutual trust and expanded cooperation during a high-level dialogue in the Chinese capital. In a meeting on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and French Presidential Diplomatic Adviser Emmanuel Bonne covered a wide-ranging agenda, from bilateral trade and technology to pressing global crises like the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
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| FILE PHOTO: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China September 1, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo |
According to a statement released by China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Wang emphasized Beijing's readiness to "strengthen high-level exchanges" with Paris, aiming to "deepen strategic mutual trust and promote all-round cooperation."
A key point from the discussion was Wang's call for France to "provide solid political guarantees for bilateral relations." While the ministry's statement did not elaborate on the specific nature of these guarantees, the language is widely interpreted as a call for France to continue pursuing its policy of "strategic autonomy" and resist pressure to align fully with the United States' more confrontational stance toward China. Beijing has consistently sought to engage with major European powers individually, viewing Paris as a crucial partner in fostering a "multipolar" world order and a counterbalance to Washington's influence.
The dialogue also outlined concrete areas for future collaboration, building on the historic economic ties between the two nations. Wang identified several key sectors ripe for enhanced partnership, including long-standing areas of cooperation such as civil nuclear energy and aerospace. He also highlighted forward-looking fields like artificial intelligence (AI), new energy, and expanding trade in agriculture and food products, signaling a push to move the economic relationship into next-generation industries.
Beyond the bilateral focus, the two senior diplomats tackled a complex international landscape. The statement confirmed that the Ukraine crisis and the volatile situation in the Middle East were major topics of discussion. Both sides reportedly agreed on the need to "maintain coordinated communication" on these issues, reflecting their roles as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and their shared interest in global stability, even if their approaches differ.
The discussion also touched upon the broader topic of the global governance system, a frequent theme in Chinese diplomacy as Beijing advocates for reforms that it believes better reflect the current global economic and political balance.
The meeting between Wang and Bonne underscores the strategic importance both nations place on their relationship amid growing geopolitical fragmentation. As China navigates intense rivalry with the United States and the European Union reassesses its China policy, dialogues like this serve as a critical channel to manage differences and identify areas of common interest.
