Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held talks with French Foreign Minister Colonna in Beijing on 25 November. Wang Yi said that this year, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, high-level exchanges between China and France have been full of highlights. The two sides agreed to implement the outcomes of the Sixth Meeting of the China-France High-Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism. The French side will issue a longer visa to Chinese graduate students studying in France.
Wang Yi held a China-France strategic dialogue with French Foreign Affairs Advisor Jean-Claude Berne. The two sides agreed to give full play to the important role of strategic dialogue, promote the high-level development of bilateral relations, and jointly address global challenges. Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, which is both a milestone and a new starting point. Wang Yi stressed that China and the EU are partners, not rivals, and their common interests far outweigh their differences.
Wang Yi said that thanks to the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-France relations have maintained a high level of development. Exchanges between the two countries at all levels have resumed in an all-round way, and substantive progress has been made in practical cooperation in various fields. The Chinese side is willing to work with the French side to jointly plan the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the Year of Culture and Tourism next year. The two sides agreed to maintain strategic communication and promote people-to-people exchanges.
Putin asked Zhang Guoqing to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping. Putin said that with the joint efforts of Russia and China, bilateral relations have entered the best period in history. China is willing to work with Russia to implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, share development opportunities, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen the coordination and docking of regional development strategies, give play to the role of local cooperation mechanisms between the two countries, and promote the sustained development of China-Russia cooperation.
Wang Wentao said that economic and trade relations are the ballast stone of Sino-US relations. Trade between the two countries is important to both their respective economies and the world economy. China is willing to work with the US side to uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. The two sides established a working group composed of U.S. and Chinese government officials at the vice-ministerial and director-general levels to find solutions to specific business problems.