Upholdingmutualbenefitandwin-wincooperation,China-Franceeconomicandtradecooperationcontinuestoexpand,makingthe"pie"ofcooperationbigger.Inrecentyears,therelationshipbetweenChinaandFrancehasrisentonewheights,andthetwocountrieskeepmakingnewprogressincooperationonaviation,aerospace,nuclearenergy,agrifoodandgreendevelopment.Chinesee-commerceplatformssuchasSheinandTemuhaveboostedChineseexportstoFrance,offeringhigh-qualityandaffordableproductstoFrenchconsumers.PARIS,May6(Xinhua)--ChinesePresidentXiJinpingwaswarmlyreceivedbyFrenchPrimeMinisterGabrielAttalatParisOrlyairportashestartedhisthirdstatevisitfollowingprevioustripsin2014and2019.Thisvisittookplaceduringthe60thanniversaryofdiplomatictiesbetweenChinaandFrance,fuelingthevisitwithspecialmeaningasanimportantopportunitytobuildonpastachievementsandguidethefutureofbilateralties.Inthe60yearssince,thebilateralrelationshavealwaysstayedabreastofChina'srelationswithWesterncountries,settingaprimeexampleforcountrieswithdifferentsocialsystemstocoexistinpeaceandpursuewin-wincooperation,XisaidinawrittenspeechonSundayuponhisarrivalhere.Chinaisreadytoconsolidatetraditionalfriendship,enhancepoliticalmutualtrust,buildstrategicconsensusanddeepenexchangesandcooperationinvariousfieldswithFranceviavisit,Xisaid.ChinesePresidentXiJinpingarrivesinParisforastatevisittoFranceattheinvitationofFrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacron,May5,2024.XiwasreceivedbyFrenchPrimeMinisterGabrielAttalatParisOrlyairportuponarrival.(Xinhua/DingLin)MAKINGABIGGERPIEAccordingtodatareleasedbyChina'sMinistryofCommerce,FrenchdirectinvestmentinChinainthefirsttwomonthsofthisyearhassurged585.8percentyear-on-year.ChinaandFrance,inthefaceofdifficultiesandchallenges,haveupheldtruemultilateralismandkepttotherightdirectionoffreetradeandeconomicglobalization,significantlyenhancingtheresilienceandvitalityofbilateraleconomicandtradecooperation,saidXiwhileaddressingtheclosingceremonyofthefifthmeetingoftheChina-FranceBusinessCouncilinBeijinginApril2023.Accordingtoa2023surveyofFrenchcompaniesinChinaconductedbytheFrenchChamberofCommerceandIndustryinChina,manymembercompaniesareplanningtofurtherinvestinChina."TheimportanceoftheChinesemarket,frommypointofview,hasnotchanged,"BarbaraFrei,theexecutivevicepresidentofSchneiderElectric,toldXinhua.ShevoicedconfidenceinChina'spositionasamorematureeconomyandthebiggestmarketinindustrialautomationandhighlightedChina'sroleasan"innovationdriver."HerremarkswereechoedbyPatrickCharignon,vicepresidentforAsia-PacificofEDFRenewables,asubsidiaryofFrance'sleadingelectricutilitycompanyEDF."China,withitsimmenseambitionsintermsofenergytransition,andastheworldleaderindecarbonizedenergyproductioncapacity,isobviouslyaveryimportantmarketforEDF,"saidCharignon.Upholdingmutualbenefitandwin-wincooperation,China-Franceeconomicandtradecooperationcontinuestoexpand,makingthe"pie"ofcooperationbigger.Two-waytradebetweenChinaandFrancehasreached78.9billionU.S.dollarsin2023.ChinaisnowFrance'slargesttradingpartnerinAsia,whileFranceranksasChina'sthird-largesttradingpartnerwithintheEuropeanUnion(EU).DuringameetingwithFrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacroninAprillastyear,XiconveyedtoMacronChina'sreadinesstoworkwithFrancetobuilda"FrenchfarmtoChinesediningtable"whole-chainrapidcoordinationmechanism.Nowadays,thismechanismisbecomingashiningexampleofpracticalcooperationbetweenChinaandFrance."Weproducehigh-qualitybeefthankstoourcertificationandtraceabilitysystem.WestillneedtocommunicatethatqualitytoChineseconsumers,"MaxenceBigard,presidentofINTERBEV,theFrenchinterprofessionallivestockandmeatassociation,toldXinhua.ThefirstAirbusA321aircraftisproducedattheFinalAssemblyLineAsia(FALA)facilityinnorthChina'sTianjinonNov.9,2022.(Xinhua/ZhaoZishuo)COOPERATINGONINNOVATIONInrecentyears,therelationshipbetweenChinaandFrancehasrisentonewheights,andthetwocountrieskeepmakingnewprogressincooperationonaviation,aerospace,nuclearenergy,agrifoodandgreendevelopment,saidXiinhiswrittenspeechonSunday.InthejointventureestablishedbytheRenaultGroupandtheChineseautomotivesupplierMinthlocatedinthe"BatteryValley"ofnorthernFrance,twonewproductionlineshavebegunmanufacturingbatteryboxesforelectricvehicles.Insidethefactory,dozensofweldingrobotsandhandlingrobotsworkinanorderlymanner.TheadvancedtechnologiesbroughtbytheChinesesidehavesparedFrenchpartners'capitalandtime."Whatreallyinterestsusistohavethispartnershipsothatwecanbenefitfromtheknow-howoftheseChinesecompaniesthathavemadevery,veryrapidprogress,particularlyinelectricvehicles,butalsoinupstreamtechnologies,"saidYannPitollet,CEOofNordFranceInvest,whosewordsechothesentimentsofmanylocalexecutives.InJanuary,EuropeanaircraftmanufacturerAirbusopenedaservicecenterdedicatedtotheentirelifecycleofanaircraftinthecityofChengdu,thefirm'sfirstsuchcenteroutsideEurope."ExpandingourpresenceintheChinesemarketprovidesuswiththeopportunitytodiscoveradditionalavenuesforgrowth,"saidBrianAgnew,generalmanagerofAirbusLifecycleServices,addingthattheChengduprojectisdrivingAirbustoexpeditethedevelopmentoflocalizedservices,benefitingnotonlyChinesecustomersbutalsoglobalclients.Inthecosmeticsindustry,ChinahasbecomeoneofthesixglobalresearchandinnovationcentersandoneofthethreeglobalbeautytechnologycentersforFrenchcompanyL'Oreal,aswellasaproductevalsuationcenter.FrancewasthefirstWesterncountrytocooperatewithChinaonciviliannuclearenergyprojects.Sincethen,cooperationhasexpandedfromtechnicaltomoreforward-lookingresearchareas."Thetwocountriesarecommittedtocontinuingtheirnuclearcooperationoncutting-edgeresearchanddevelopmenttopics,inparticularonthebasisoftheagreementbetweentheAtomicEnergyAuthorityofChinaandtheFrenchAlternativeEnergiesandAtomicEnergyCommission,"saidajointstatementbetweenChinaandFrancein2023.LuoQingping,chairmanoftheChinaInstituteofNuclearIndustryStrategy(CINIS),toldXinhuathatoverthepastyear,CINIShasconductedforward-lookingresearchonnuclearenergytosupportlow-carbondevelopmentincollaborationwithEDF."ThisisanexemplarycaseofstrategicplanningresearchcooperationbetweenChineseandFrenchcompanies,reflectingtheconsensusbetweenChinaandFranceinthedevelopmentofnuclearenergy,"saidLuo.Chinesepavilionisseenatthe60thInternationalAgricultureFairinParis,France,Feb.26,2024.(PhotobyAurelienMorissard/Xinhua)EXPANDINGWIN-WINPLATFORMSInthevideospeechmarkingthe60thanniversaryofChina-Francediplomaticties,Xisaidthetwocountriesshould"poolcooperationforcesandsharedevelopmentopportunitiesthroughopenness."TheChinaInternationalImportExpo(CIIE)hasbecomeanimportantgatewayforFrenchgoodstoentertheChinesemarket.The7thCIIEofthisyearhasonceagaininvitedFranceastheguestofhonor.PascaleThieffry,directoroftheFrenchPaviliondepartmentatBusinessFrance,saidthattheCIIEhasgreatlypromotedthetradedevelopmentbetweenFranceandChina.OntheFrenchside,theInternationalAgricultureFair(Salondel'Agriculture)inParisalsoservesasabridgeforagriculturalcooperationbetweenChinaandFrance.FromFebruarytoMarchthisyear,theChinesePavilionmadeitsdebutatthisannualevent,withlocalspecialtiessuchasdriedwolfberriesandcitruspeeltea,aswellasChinesehandicraftslikepaper-cuttingandshadowpuppets,attractingmanyFrenchcustomerstocomeanddiscusscooperation.Cross-bordere-commercebetweenChinaandFrancehaswitnessedaboominrecentyears.LiMingtao,headoftheresearchinstituteattheChinaInternationalElectronicCommerceCenter,saidinthepasttwoyears,e-commerceplatformshavepromptedmanysmallFrenchenterprisestoexploretheChinesemarket.AstudybySDABocconiSchoolofManagementinItalyshowsthatfrom2019to2022,FrenchexportstoChinaonChinesee-commerceplatformssuchasTmallandTaobaoGlobalamountedto41billioneuros(44billiondollars),roughlyequivalenttothetotalsumofexportsofItaly,Spain,andGermanytoChina.Meanwhile,Chinesee-commerceplatformssuchasSheinandTemuhaveboostedChineseexportstoFrance,offeringhigh-qualityandaffordableproductstoFrenchconsumers.Thethird-partymarketcooperationbetweenChinaandFrancealsocontinuestodeepen.StellantisGroup,aleadingglobalautomakerthatmergedbyItalian-AmericanFiatChryslerAutomobiless(FCA)andtheFrenchPSAGroup,invested1.5billioneuros(1.62billiondollars)inOctoberlastyeartoacquireabout20percentofthesharesofChineseelectricvehiclecompanyLeapmotorTechnology.ThenewlyestablishedjointventurehasstartedproductionofpureelectricvehiclesinItalyandPoland,amongotherplaces.IntheRepublicoftheCongo,China,FranceandtheCentralAfricancountryjointlyundertaketheconcessionoperationprojectforNo.1NationalHighway,significantlyboostinglocalemploymentandimprovingpeople'swell-being.XinhuacorrespondentsQiaoBenxiao,ZhangBaihui,ZhangChaoqun,DongXiaohong,CheYunlongandLiChaoalsocontributedtothestory.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.