ChinesePresidentXiJinpingarrivesinParisforastatevisittoFranceattheinvitationofFrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacron,May5,2024.XiwasreceivedbyFrenchPrimeMinisterGabrielAttalatParisOrlyairportuponarrival.(Xinhua/YanYan)ChinesePresidentXiJinping'sstatevisittoFrance,hisfirsttriptoEuropeinnearlyfiveyears,coincideswiththe60thanniversaryofestablishingdiplomatictiesbetweenChinaandFrance,amilestoneeventinChina-Westernrelations.PARIS,May5(Xinhua)--ChinesePresidentXiJinpingarrivedhereSundayforastatevisittoFrance,withthetwosidespoisedtobolsterbilateraltiesandreiteratetheircommitmenttofortifyingtheirpartnershipamidshiftinggloballandscapes.ThediscussionsandagreementsduringXi'sthirdstatevisittoFrance,followingvisitsin2014and2019,areexpectedtoencompassabroadspectrumofcriticalareas.Fromtradeandinvestmenttoinnovationandculturalexchange,theagendareflectsthecomprehensivenatureofthebilateralrelationshipbetweenChinaandFrance.Meanwhile,thevisitwillgobeyondbeingbilateral.Dialoguesoninternationalandregionalissuesofmutualconcern,aswellasmultilateralcooperation,areanticipated.Thisemphasizestheenduringtraditionofbothnations'shareddedicationtoaddressingcomplexchallengesthroughcollaborativediplomaticendeavors.Notingthatmultilateralismappearstobe"themosteffectivewayofresolvingmostoftheproblemsofourmultipolarworld,"formerFrenchPrimeMinisterLaurentFabiussaidthatFranceandChinashare"certainsimilar,ifnotidentical,visionsofglobalgovernance."InasignedarticlepublishedSundayinFrenchmediaLeFigaro,XinotedthatthelongertheUkrainecrisisdragson,thegreaterharmitwilldotoEuropeandtheworld."ChinahopesthatpeaceandstabilitywillreturntoEuropeatanearlydate.WestandreadytoworkwithFranceandthewholeinternationalcommunitytofindareasonablewayoutofthecrisis,"Xisaidinthearticle.AstotheongoingPalestinian-Israeliconflict,XinotedinthearticlethatChinaandFrancehavemanyincommononthePalestine-Israelissue."ItisthuscriticalthatwestrengthencooperationandhelprestorepeaceintheMiddleEast."Thisvisit,Xi'sfirsttriptoEuropeinnearlyfiveyears,coincideswiththe60thanniversaryofestablishingdiplomatictiesbetweenChinaandFrance,amilestoneeventinChina-Westernrelations.ThedecisionofFrancetoestablishdiplomatictieswithChina60yearsagowentagainsttheprevailingattitudesofthemajorWesternpowersatthetime,EricAlauzet,presidentoftheFrance-ChinaFriendshipGroupoftheFrenchNationalAssembly,saidhereSaturdayataforumonFrance-Chinapeople-to-peopleandculturalexchanges."FranceandChinacannowlookbackonasingularhistory,"hesaid.InhiswrittenspeechuponarrivalonSunday,Xisaidinthe60yearssince,thebilateralrelationshavealwaysstayedabreastofChina'srelationswithWesterncountries,settingaprimeexampleforcountrieswithdifferentsocialsystemstocoexistinpeaceandpursuewin-wincooperation.ThedevelopmentofChina-FrancebilateralrelationsatteststoXi'sremarks.Despitedifferingpoliticalsystems,thetwocountrieshaveforgedarobustpartnershipmarkedbycooperationandmutualrespect.ApartfrombeingthefirstmajorWesternnationtoformalizediplomaticrelationswithChinain1964,FranceisthefirstmajorWesterncountrytoformacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipwithChina.TheEuropeancountryisalsothefirstWesternnationtostrikeadealwithChinaforairtransportationandthefirsttocooperatewithChinaoncivilnuclearenergyprojects.ThisvisitunfoldsamidcallsfromcertainWesternpolicymakersfor"de-risking"fromChina.However,thefruitfulwin-wincooperationbetweenChinaandFranceservesasarobustrebuttaltosuchprotectionistrhetoric.Overthepast60years,bilateraltradebetweenChinaandFrancehassurgeddramatically,increasing800-foldtoreach78.9billionU.S.dollarslastyear.From2019to2023,China'simportsandexportswithFrancegrewby5.9percentannually.ChinaisnowFrance'slargesttradingpartnerinAsia,whileFranceranksasChina'sthird-largesttradingpartnerandthethird-largestsourceofinvestmentinrealtermswithintheEuropeanUnion.Moreover,datafromChina'sGeneralAdministrationofCustomsunderscoresFrance'spivotalrolebeyondagriculturalimports.Franceisalsoacriticalsourceofimportsforaircraftandaerospacecomponents,constitutingapproximately30percentofChina'stotalimportvolumeinthesesectorsoverthepastfiveyears.Meanwhile,accordingtoa2023surveyofFrenchcompaniesinChinaconductedbytheFrenchChamberofCommerceandIndustryinChina,47percentofmembercompaniesareplanningtofurtherinvestinChina."TheimportanceoftheChinesemarket,frommypointofview,hasnotchanged,"BarbaraFrei,theexecutivevicepresidentofSchneiderElectric,toldXinhua.ShevoicedconfidenceinChina'spositionasamorematureeconomyandthebiggestmarketinindustrialautomationandhighlightedChina'sroleasan"innovationdriver."Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.