French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed trade and bilateral relations in Paris, according to the Xinhua News.
Macron and Wang vowed Friday to promote multilateralism and enhance coordination against "hegemonic conflicts and bloc confrontation."
Macron said Paris and Beijing have "great responsibility" due to the current global challenges of uncertainty and unpredictability, as he welcomed Chinese investment in France.
The French president added that Paris is keen to cooperate with China on international economic, financial and global governance issues, jointly addressing global challenges, supporting multilateralism, and stopping the world "from falling into hegemonic conflicts and bloc confrontations."
Wang, on the other hand, called Beijing and Paris "comprehensive strategic partners and two major stabilizing forces in the world."
The Chinese foreign minister said Beijing is "committed to building a new, higher-level open economic system, creating a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, while actively advancing the strategy of expanding domestic demand."
He also expressed hope that France provides a "more favorable and fair environment for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in France."
Wang noted that the EU and Beijing has resolved a brandy anti-dumping duty issue "through friendly consultations," referring to China exempting major French brandy enterprises from duty after they pledged a price commitment.
Wang, expressing hope that France, "as a core major power in the EU," will call on the EU "to properly address China-EU trade and economic disputes and actively respond to China's concerns."
Wang and Macron also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, the Gaza Strip and the Iranian nuclear issue, among others topics.
