BEIJING,April9(Xinhua)--ChinesePresidentXiJinpingonThursdayheldtalkswithvisitingFrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacroninBeijing,whichwasfollowedbyatrilateralmeetingXiheldwithMacronandEuropeanCommissionPresidentUrsulavonderLeyen.XialsohadaseparatemeetingwithvonderLeyenafterthetrilateralmeeting.

JustadaylaterinGuangzhou,thecapitalofGuangdongProvinceinsouthChina,XiandMacronwentforastrollandchattedoverteainaninformalmeeting.

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Inacomplexandvolatileworld,theface-to-facemeetingsofthethreeleadersnotonlypromotedpoliticaltrustandstrengtheneddialogueofChina,FranceandtheEuropeanUnion(EU),butalsohelpedenhancetheirjointeffortstosafeguardworldpeace,navigatecrisesandachievesharedprosperity.

STABILITYAVALUEDASSET

StabilityisoneofthekeywordsinXi"stalkswithMacron.DuringtheirmeetingonThursday,XispokefavorablyofthemomentumofpositiveandsteadygrowthintheChina-Francerelationship,andstressedthatstability,adefiningfeatureandvaluedassetofthisrelationship,shouldbecherishedbybothsides.

Inrecentyears,underthestrategicguidanceofXiandMacron,China-Francerelationshavewitnessedsounddevelopmentthankstofruitfulstrategiccommunicationandpracticalcooperation.Thetwosideshavealsomaintainedclosecommunicationandcoordinationoninternationalandregionalaffairs.

Onthe50thanniversaryofChina-Francediplomaticrelationsin2014,Xisummarizedtheoriginalaspirationoftheestablishmentofthediplomaticrelationsasindependence,mutualunderstanding,foresight,mutualbenefitandwin-winoutcomes.

Overtheyears,byadheringtotheoriginalaspiration,China-FrancerelationshavesetanexamplefortherelationsbetweenChinaandotherWesterncountries.

Currently,theworldisundergoingprofoundhistorictransformation.Globaleconomicrecoveryisstillfaltering,thedevelopmentgapiswidening,hoteventskeeppoppingup,andtheglobaldevelopmentprocesshassufferedserioussetbacks.

ChinaandFrance,accordingtoXi,aspermanentmembersoftheUnitedNations(UN)SecurityCouncil,majorcountrieswithatraditionofindependence,andfirmadvocatesforamulti-polarworldandforgreaterdemocracyininternationalrelations,havetheabilityandresponsibilitytoriseabovedifferencesandobstacles,keeptotheoveralldirectionofacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipthatisstable,mutuallybeneficial,enterprisinganddynamic,andpracticetruemultilateralismforglobalpeace,stabilityandprosperity.

AsforChina-EUrelations,XistressedthatChinaandEuropearetwomajorforces,bigmarkets,andgreatcivilizationsintheworld,sayingthatChina-Europerelationsbearonthewellbeingofbothsidesandthestabilityandprosperityoftheworldatlarge.

ChinawillkeepitsEuropepolicystableinthelongrun,continuetoseeEuropeasanindependentforceinamulti-polarworld,andstaycommittedtoaChina-Europerelationshipthatisnottargetedat,subjugatedto,orcontrolledbyanythirdparty,Xisaid.

Thisyearmarksthe20thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofChina-EUcomprehensivestrategicpartnership.ChinaispreparedtoworkwiththeEUtosettherightdirectionandtoneforChina-EUties,fullyresumeexchangesatalllevelsandrevitalizemutually-beneficialcooperationinvariousfields,thusinjectingfreshimpetusintoChina-EUrelationsandglobalpeace,stabilityandprosperity.

Xi"swordshaverevivedglobalconfidenceaboutChina-Europerelations.ReferringtoEurope-Chinarelationsasacrucial"componentofthefuture,"RomanoProdi,formerpresidentoftheEuropeanCommission,saidthatitisimportantforthetwopartiestoresumetheirdirectexchangesinvariousareaswhichhavebeenhinderedbytheCOVID-19pandemicoverthepastthreeyears.

MUTUALLY-BENEFICIALRELATIONS

SeniorexecutivesfromanumberofrenownedFrenchcompaniesincludingtheelectricgiantEDF,AirbusandAlstomwereonMacron"sdelegationlist.Theyallcherishedthehopeoffurthertappingthehugepotentialoftheworld"slargestconsumermarket.

"Wehavealreadyseenpotentialopportunitiesinthemarket,whichmakesusevenmorebullishaboutChina"seconomicoutlookandprospect,"FabriceMegarbane,presidentofL"OrealNorthAsiaZoneandCEOofL"OrealChina,toldXinhua.

InChina,XiandMacronwitnessedthesigningofbilateralcooperationdocumentscoveringagrifood,scienceandtechnology,aviation,civilnuclearenergy,sustainabledevelopment,andculture,demonstratingthevitalityandbroadspacebetweenChinaandFranceindeepeningmutuallybeneficialcooperation.

Althoughtheworldeconomyisrecoveringslowly,China-EUtradeandinvestmentcooperationhasmaintainedarobustmomentum.In2022,bilateraltradereached847.3billionU.S.dollars,up2.4percentyearonyear.

AsanepitomeofChina-EUcooperation,theChina-EuropeRailwayExpressservicehasbeenexpandedtomorethan200Europeancities,ensuringthestabilityandsmoothflowoftheglobalsupplychain.In2022,China-Europefreighttrainsmade16,000trips,carrying1.6milliontwenty-footequivalentunits(TEUs)ofgoods.

China-Europeexchangesinvariousareashaveresumedswiftlyandcomprehensively.SpanishPrimeMinisterPedroSanchezvisitedChinainlateMarch.DozensofbusinessleadersfromEuroperecentlyattendedChinaDevelopmentForum2023andexpressedtheirconfidenceinandexpectationsforinvestingandgrowinginChina.PoliticalconsultationsbetweenChineseandEuropeanforeignministriesareheldalmosteveryweekinpreparationforfrequenthigh-levelinteractionsbetweenthetwosidesatthenextstage.

ThecloseinteractionsbetweenChinaandEuropefullyshowthatdespitesomedifferences,thetwosideshaveastrongdesireforcommunicationandshareextensiveandprofoundcommoninterests.

DuringthetrilateralmeetingwithMacronandvonderLeyen,XicalledonChinaandtheEUtoseekcommongroundwhileshelvingdifferences,andlearntoaccommodate,appreciate,drawuponandfacilitateeachother"sdevelopment.

TheEUandChinaareeachother"simportanttradingpartnersandthetwoeconomiesarehighlyintertwined,vonderLeyensaid,addingthatdecouplingfromChinaisneitherintheEU"sinterestsnortheEU"sstrategicchoice.

Macronnotedthatinaworldfullofuncertainties,theEUandChinashouldworkwitheachothertostayawayfromthetrapofeconomicdecouplingandseveringsupplychains,carryoutmutually-beneficialcooperationonanequalfooting,tacklepressingglobalchallengessuchasclimatechange,andkeepdeepeningtheEU-Chinacomprehensivestrategicpartnership.

"Europe-Chinarelationsaredecisiveforthefutureoftheworld,"saidBrunoGuigue,aFrenchinternationalaffairsexpert."ThecommonfutureofChinaandEuropeisthedevelopmentofmutuallybeneficialcooperation."

ONLYCORRECTSOLUTIONTOUKRAINECRISIS

Duringthemeetings,XireaffirmedChina"spositionontheUkrainecrisis,callingonthepartiestojointlycreateconditionsforpeacetalks.

AtthemeetingwithMacrononFriday,Xinotedthatthecauseofthecrisisiscomplexandaprolongedcrisisservesnoone"sinterests.Hesaidaceasefireassoonaspossiblewouldservetheinterestsofallpartiesconcerned,andapoliticalsettlementistheonlycorrectsolution.

ChinawillneverhandletheUkraineissueoutofselfishinterests,butalwaysstandsforfairnessandjustice.Allrelevantpartiesshouldshouldertheirresponsibilitiesandmakejointeffortstocreateconditionsforapoliticalsettlement,Xisaid.

China"seffortstopromoteapoliticalsettlementoftheUkrainecrisisarewinningmoreapprovalfromEuropeanleaders.

Duringthemeetings,vonderLeyenandMacronagreedthatChinadidnotcreatetheUkrainecrisis,andsaidthattheyappreciateChina"seffortstopromoteapoliticalsettlementandlookforwardtoChinaplayingamoreimportantrole.TheyalsosaidthattheyarepreparedtoworkwithChinatofindawaytofacilitatetalksforpeace.

"Chinaadvocatespeaceandtalks.Itisplayingapositiveroleforendingthecrisis,"saidHerveJuvin,amemberoftheEuropeanParliament,addingthat"Chinaisnowplayingasapeacemaker."

AsaEuropeansayinggoes,"Thosewhoworkalone,add;thosewhoworktogether,multiply."Inthisspirit,ChinaisreadytoworkwiththeEuropeansidetoadvanceexchangesandcooperation,builduptrustandnarrowdifferences,andinjectcertaintyandpositiveenergytoavolatileworldwiththestabilityandgrowthofChina-Europerelations.