PARIS, June 21 -- China and France should jointly maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, strengthen cooperation on innovation, and foster a sound business environment, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday.
Li made the three-point proposal on China-France cooperation when delivering a speech at a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities in Paris. French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and more than 100 representatives from the business communities of the two countries attended the event.
Li said interdependence is an inevitable result of economic globalization, and the sound political mutual trust between China and France enables the two countries to see stability, certainty, and common development opportunities in their interdependence, rather than risks.
On jointly maintaining the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, Li expressed admiration for the French government's opposition to bloc confrontations, decoupling as well as severing industrial and supply chains.
It is hoped that Chinese and French entrepreneurs will firmly support economic globalization, take action for open and win-win cooperation, and jointly maintain the stability and resilience of the industrial and supply chains between China and France and between China and Europe, Li added.
On strengthening China-France cooperation on innovation, Li said in recent years, China-France technological exchanges in medicine, new energy batteries, semiconductors and other fields have produced many innovative achievements, adding that looking ahead, the two sides still boast great potential for cooperation in areas including high-end manufacturing, modern services, green transformation and digital economy.
The two sides should strengthen innovation and technological cooperation between their enterprises to provide new driving forces and foster new growth points for China-France cooperation, said the Chinese premier.
On fostering a sound business environment. Li said China will unswervingly deepen reform, expand opening up, and further ease market access in the modern service sector and others.
China will steadily promote institutional opening up that covers rules, regulations, management and standards, said Li, adding that China will step up intellectual property rights protection, foster a market-oriented, world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign companies in China in accordance with the law.
Li hopes that the French side will keep its market open, and build a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.
Li welcomed French enterprises to actively participate in the China International Import Expo to further explore the Chinese market.
In his speech, Li said that his visit to France is a journey of friendship and cooperation, adding that in almost 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, the relationship between the two countries has always maintained positive development and achieved remarkable cooperation results.
China-France relations are characterized by being stable, contemporary and global. Both countries stand for unity instead of division and cooperation instead of confrontation. Both countries are committed to upholding multilateralism, promoting the improvement of global governance, and working together to meet the common challenges of mankind, he said, calling on both sides to cherish and take good care of it.
He encouraged entrepreneurs from both countries to strengthen confidence, seize opportunities and make joint efforts to achieve greater development and promote steady and long-term cooperation between China and France and between China and Europe.
Speaking highly of the sound momentum and fruitful results of the development of bilateral ties and cooperation, Le Maire said that French companies remain attracted by China, and stand ready to deepen cooperation in such fields as aviation, food and renewable energy, so as to build high-quality partnerships and achieve win-win results.
China's State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong was also present at the event.
