Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron held talks in Beijing on December 4, agreeing to enhance political trust and expand cooperation across multiple sectors. The meeting marks Macron's fourth state visit to China since taking office in 2017.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on December 3 for a three-day state visit, leading a delegation of over 80 members, including several ministers and more than 30 CEOs of major French companies. His trip also includes a stop in Sichuan province in southwest China.
On December 4, Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Macron at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders jointly witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements in sectors including nuclear energy, agri-food, education, and the ecological environment. They also attended the closing ceremony of the seventh meeting of the China-France Business Council and held a joint press meeting.
Xi stated that China and France, as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, should demonstrate the strategic vision and independence of major countries, offering mutual understanding and support on core interests. He noted that amid accelerating changes unseen in a century, China and France should uphold multilateralism and stand on the right side of history. Xi highlighted that China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) offers the world a 'list of opportunities,' urging expansion of cooperation in traditional fields like aviation, aerospace, and nuclear energy, as well as emerging areas such as the green economy, digital economy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and new energy.
Macron congratulated China on its recent economic and social achievements and welcomed its continued growth. He affirmed France's commitment to the one-China policy and expressed hopes to enhance two-way investment, expand trade and renewable energy cooperation, and promote people-to-people exchanges. Macron stressed that amid risks of international order fragmentation, China-France dialogue is more indispensable than ever.
On the Ukraine crisis, Xi said China supports peace efforts and opposes blame-shifting. Regarding the Palestinian issue, China and France will work for a just settlement, with China announcing $100 million in aid to Palestine for Gaza's humanitarian crisis and reconstruction. The two sides agreed to deepen exchanges in culture, education, science and technology, and at the local level, and launch a new round of giant panda conservation cooperation.
On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Macron in Beijing, emphasizing that as major global economies, China and France should maintain close strategic communication and deepen economic ties to promote their comprehensive strategic partnership. Li expressed China's willingness to align development strategies, expand openness, strengthen traditional cooperation in aviation, aerospace, and civil nuclear energy, and accelerate efforts in artificial intelligence, green development, and the silver economy.
