Senior Chinese official urges France to play constructive role in China-EU consultations

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, expressed the hope that France will view China-EU economic and trade relations with a positive and open attitude, encourage the EU side to work with China in playing a constructive role through consultation and negotiation between the two sides.

Wang made the remarks Thursday during phone talks with the French President's Diplomatic Counselor Emmanuel Bonne.

For his part, Bonne expounded France's views and concerns on the recent EU-China economic and trade relations, saying that France attaches great importance to the cooperative consensus reached by the two heads of state.

Europe adheres to its strategic independence, aims to foster a fair business environment, and does not intend to exclude Chinese companies and products from the European market, he said, expressing the hope for finding a proper solution through consultation.

Noting that France is an important economic and trade partner of China in the EU, Wang said that healthy China-EU economic and trade relations serve the common interests of both sides. He recalled the in-depth discussions between him and Bonne on China-EU trade frictions during the UN General Assembly, saying they both agreed that China and the EU should avoid a trade war and resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation.

Wang noted that China and France are comprehensive strategic partners, and the two heads of state have provided strategic guidance for bilateral ties. He added that in the face of the evolving international situation, China-France relations have demonstrated unique strategic value and global significance.

Wang expressed confidence that both sides have sufficient political wisdom to properly handle differences in specific areas, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and win-win cooperation as well as the need to maintain communication, dialogue, and coordinated efforts to maintain the development momentum of bilateral relations.

Wang also reiterated China's principled stance on the Taiwan question. Bonne said that France respects China's sovereignty and will continue to pursue the one-China policy, assuring that this position will not change.