Chinese President Xi Jinping told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the two countries should “understand and support each other” and advance cooperation during a meeting on Thursday that touched on a range of issues, including the Ukraine war.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Xi described the discussions as “friendly, candid and fruitful”.
He said the pair had agreed that the two countries “should uphold multilateralism, stand on the right side of history, adhere to equal dialogue and open cooperation, and fully demonstrate the strategic value and global influence of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership”.
He added that the two countries should demonstrate the independence and strategic vision of major powers “regardless of changes in the external environment”.
“We should understand and support each other on issues involving each other’s core interests and major concerns,” he said.
He is expected to hold a second meeting there with the Chinese president on Friday.