Three days of diplomacy, culture and economic outreach strengthen relationship
\n BEIJING\/PARIS
\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s three-day state visit to China from Dec 3 to 5 has injected fresh momentum into bilateral ties and reinforced the two countries\u2019 shared commitment to multilateralism at a moment of global instability.
\nFormer French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin described the trip as a \u201csignificant opportunity for Beijing and Paris to recalibrate their partnership and deepen their joint vision for global governance.\u201d Macron concluded his visit in Sichuan with cultural engagements after a day of high-level diplomacy in Beijing. There, he held what both sides termed \u201cfriendly, candid and fruitful\u201d talks with President Xi Jinping. The two leaders witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements, addressed the media, and participated in the closing ceremony of the seventh China-France Business Council meeting.
\nSpeaking at a joint presser after their talks, President Xi said that both sides agreed to enhance political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and advance the reform and improvement of global governance, according to Xinhua news agency.
\n\u201cThey agreed to consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as aviation, aerospace and nuclear energy, and expand cooperation in emerging fields such as green economy, digital economy, biopharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence.\u201d
\nThe visit, Macron\u2019s fourth and the first following the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties, further consolidated economic and diplomatic cooperation. Raffarin said both nations \u2014 major players in global affairs \u2014 stand to benefit from stronger trade, expanded investment, and closer people-to-people exchanges.
\nHe identified three core objectives for rebalancing ties: deepening economic partnerships, shaping global governance ahead of China\u2019s APEC hosting and France\u2019s G7 presidency, and strengthening cultural cooperation.
\nPresident Xi highlighted the importance of cultural and civilisational confidence in shaping independent foreign policy. Recalling his own visit to France\u2019s Hautes-Pyrenees in 2024, he said China and France are heirs to ancient civilisations whose engagement represents the \u201cconvergence of two splendid civilisations,\u201d transcending traditional state-to-state relations.
\nMacron responded by framing the partnership as a stabilising anchor amid \u201crapidly evolving uncertainties.\u201d He reiterated France\u2019s commitment to strategic autonomy, constructive dialogue, and multilateralism, while reaffirming France\u2019s adherence to the one-China policy.
\nAs global geopolitics veer toward fragmentation, Macron argued that critical players like Europe and China must maintain engagement to preserve international stability. A comprehensive joint statement released by China\u2019s Foreign Ministry underscored strong alignment on environmental governance.
\nStrategically, France and China signalled a shared commitment to supporting developing nations undergoing ecological transitions. France welcomed China\u2019s role in follow-up discussions to the New Global Financing Pact, noting that Beijing is considering participation in the Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P).
\nEconomically, Macron\u2019s visit underscored the centrality of China-France relations within broader EU-China dynamics. China is France\u2019s largest trading partner in Asia, while France ranks as China\u2019s third-largest trading partner in the EU. Bilateral trade reached nearly $69 billion from January to October 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three days of diplomacy, culture and economic outreach strengthen relationship BEIJING\/PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s three-day state visit to China from Dec 3 to 5 has injected fresh momentum into bilateral ties and reinforced the two countries\u2019 shared commitment to multilateralism at a moment of global instability. Former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin described the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":518944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-518921","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n