At the invitation of Mr Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, made a state visit to the People’s Republic of China from 5 to 7 April 2023. As the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between France and China approaches, the two Presidents highlighted the solid foundations of the relations between the two countries and the friendship between the two peoples. They held in-depth discussions on the bilateral relationship, the EU-China relationship, and major regional and international questions, and decided to establish new horizons for Franco-Chinese cooperation, as well as seeking new impetus for relations between the European Union and China, in line with the joint statements adopted on 9 January 2018, 25 March 2019 and 6 November 2019.
I. Strengthening political dialogue and promoting mutual political confidence
1. France and China will continue annual meetings between the Presidents.
2. France and China highlight the importance of high-level contacts, their strategic dialogue, their high-level economic and financial dialogue and their high-level dialogue on people-to-people exchanges in fostering the development of their bilateral cooperation, and agree to hold another session of the said dialogues by the end of the year.
3. France and China reaffirm their will to continue the sustained development of their close and robust comprehensive strategic partnership, on the basis of mutual respect for their sovereignty, their territorial integrity and their major interests.
4. France and China agree to deepen discussions on strategic issues and in particular to deepen dialogue between the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Command of French Forces in the Asia-Pacific Zone (ALPACI), in order to enhance their mutual understanding of regional and international security issues.
5. In this 20th anniversary year of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, China reaffirms its commitment to developing EU-China relations, encourages high-level discussions to foster convergence of views on strategic issues, to increase people-to-people exchanges, to collectively address global issues and to promote balanced and pro-active economic cooperation. As a European Union Member State, France shares these focuses and will contribute.
6. France reaffirms its commitment to the One China policy.
II. Together promoting global security and stability
7. As permanent members of the Security Council, France and China work together to seek constructive solutions based on international law to address the challenges and threats to international security and stability. They consider that divergences and disputes between States should be settled peacefully through dialogue and consultations. In a multi-polar world, they seek to strengthen the international multilateral system under the auspices of the United Nations.
8. France and China reiterate their endorsement of the P5 Joint Statement of the Leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races of 3 January 2022. As it reiterates, “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”. The two countries call for any party to refrain from any action that could worsen the risks of tensions.
9. The two countries intend to strengthen coordination and cooperation in order to together preserve the authority and effectiveness of the arms control and non-proliferation regime and to advance the international arms control process. France and China reaffirm their commitment to balanced promotion of the three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that are nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to constantly strengthen the universality, authority and effectiveness of the NPT.
10. The two countries support any effort to foster a restoration of peace in Ukraine on the basis of international law and the goals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
11. The two countries oppose armed attacks against nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities, and support the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its efforts to play a constructive role in promoting the safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities, including to ensure the safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
12. The two countries underline the importance of scrupulous compliance with international humanitarian law by all the parties to the conflict. In particular, they call for protection of women and children, victims of the conflict, for increased humanitarian assistance to conflict areas, and for safe, swift and unobstructed humanitarian access in accordance with international commitments.
13. The two countries will continue their consultations within the France-China strategic dialogue.
14. The conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2015 was a major achievement for multilateral diplomacy. France and China reiterate their commitment to promoting a political and diplomatic settlement on the Iran nuclear issue. They reiterate their commitment to preserving the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and the authority and effectiveness of Security Council resolutions. They reiterate their support to the IAEA in this regard.
15. France and China will continue close consultations concerning the Korean Peninsula.
16. The two countries agree to continue their discussions via the France-China dialogue on cyber issues.
III. Promoting economic exchanges
17. France and China commit to provide a level playing field for companies, particularly in the fields of cosmetics, agricultural and agrifood products, air traffic management, finance (banks, insurance, asset managers), health (medical equipment, vaccines), and energy, investment, and sustainable development. To do this, the two countries are working to provide a good environment for business cooperation, to improve business access to each other’s markets, to improve the business climate, and to ensure compliance with intellectual property rights of all companies of the two countries. In the field of the digital economy, including with regard to 5G, France commits to continue the fair and non-discriminatory processing of licence applications submitted by Chinese companies on the basis of laws and regulations, including with regard to the two countries’ national security.
18. France and China intend to continue to enhance their pragmatic cooperation in all fields of the service sector, and support economic and commercial exchanges between the two countries’ institutions and companies on the basis of mutual benefit, with a view to promoting the development of trade in services. France is ready to accept the invitation to participate in the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) as a guest country of honour.
19. France and China wish to intensify their partnership in the agricultural, agrifood, veterinary and phytosanitary fields. They welcome the securing of access to the market for pork products, the opening of the market for baby kiwi and for dairy proteins in animal feed, as well as the approval issued to 15 pork exporters. The authorities of the two countries will respond as swiftly as possible to future applications for approval of companies exporting agricultural and agrifood products, in particular meat and fish products, to applications for registration of infant milk formulas, which meet the requirement laid down by their food safety as well as to market opening requests made by their respective authorities. The two countries will continue their exchanges and cooperation in the suckler cows and viticulture sectors, as well as on geographical indications (GIs), in particular for the registration of GIs for Burgundy wines. France will support the application that China will submit to join the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) as swiftly as possible, as well as the organization by China of an international conference on the wine sector.
20. France and China welcome the conclusion of a General Terms Agreement confirming the purchase by Chinese companies of 160 Airbus aircraft. They will study in due course the needs of Chinese airlines, especially in terms of cargo and long-haul aircraft, according to the recovery and development of the Chinese transport market and air fleet. The two countries welcome the strengthening of cooperation between the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and will continue to accelerate the certification process on the basis of mutually recognized international safety standards, particularly with regard to the H175, Falcon 8X and Y12F programmes. They welcome the conclusion of an agreement between the two countries’ companies of on sustainable aviation fuels. They are also continuing ongoing industrial cooperation, in particular the project for the new Airbus assembly line in Tianjin.
21. France and China support the resumption at the earliest opportunity of air connectivity to its pre-pandemic level, in a coordinated manner between civil aviation authorities and with a view to resuming implementation of the Agreement between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the French Republic relating to air transport signed on 1 June 1966 and the relevant arrangements on air freedoms. Airlines of the two countries should have fair and equal opportunities to operate flights between the two countries. They support the deepening of people-to-people and economic ties, including the facilitation of the issuance of visas for the private sector and the business community.
22. They welcome cooperation between the two countries’ space institutions, regarding the Chang’e 6 lunar probe and joint studies of extraterrestrial samples.
23. In their common desire for a transition to a decarbonized energy system, France and China are developing pragmatic cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy under the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy between the two governments. The two countries are committed to continuing their nuclear cooperation on cutting-edge research and development topics, in particular on the basis of the agreement between the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). The two countries support the study by the two countries’ companies of the possibility of enhancing their industrial and technological cooperation, in particular on the reprocessing of nuclear waste.
24. France and China welcome the results obtained by the 2015 intergovernmental agreement on partnerships in third markets. They are working on monitoring and implementing cooperation projects in third markets that have already been identified. The two governments encourage companies, financial institutions and other players to explore new structural economic cooperation projects in third markets, on the basis of applicable high international standards.
IV. Boosting people-to-people and cultural exchanges
25. Keen to promote and protect the diversity of cultural expressions in the world, France and China support the deepening of their cooperation in the creation and showcasing of cultural works and will promote a dynamic resumption of exchanges and cooperation in the cultural and tourist fields. The two countries welcome the conclusion of a declaration of intent relating to cooperation in the field of culture between the two Ministries of Culture.
26. They will co-organize the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism in 2024 and support the organization in France and China of high quality events, in particular between the Palace of Versailles and the Forbidden City as well as between the Pompidou Centre and the West Bund Museum. They commit to facilitate the circulation of the exhibitions in compliance with the two countries’ laws, in particular with regard to customs and logistical aspects, and will strive to ensure the integrity and return of the works exhibited within the framework of the supported exhibitions.
27. They reaffirm their desire to strengthen cooperation in cultural and creative industries, and their potential for reaching the widest audience possible, in particular in the sectors of literature, cinema, television documentaries, publishing (including video games), music, architecture and digital media through co-productions, copyright partnerships, competitions and artist exchanges.
28. France and China commit to intensify their bilateral cooperation in the protection, restoration and promotion of cultural heritage. The two countries welcome the conclusion of a roadmap on heritage cooperation relating in particular to Chinese experts working alongside French teams onsite to restore Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, cooperation on the protection, restoration and study of the Terracotta Army, cooperation projects around the Gongshutang Temple and the Maoling Mausoleum and the promotion of the twinning of French and Chinese World Heritage sites. The two countries will continue joint efforts to prevent and fight theft, clandestine excavations, and the illicit import and export of cultural property. They reaffirm their full support for the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH).
29. France and China reaffirm the importance they attach to cooperation on teaching each other’s languages, through which friendship and mutual understanding are forged. They will work on revitalizing the linguistic cooperation agreement between the two governments signed in June 2015, encourage the development of the teaching of the two languages in the two countries’ schools and the multiplication of bilingual courses, and promote exchanges and training of language teachers.
30. France and China reiterate their commitment to strengthening cooperation in higher education and vocational training. They will encourage the development of partnerships between higher education institutions, such as Franco-Chinese institutes, and together promote the mutual resumption of student and teacher mobility. They will also facilitate exchanges between schools. To this end, the two countries will establish a fast-track procedure for obtaining visas for these groups. The two countries will organize a new session of the Joint Franco-Chinese Commission on Education at the earliest opportunity.
31. The two Presidents agree that the next Joint Franco-Chinese Commission on Science and Technology should be held at the earliest opportunity to define the major guidelines for both bilateral scientific cooperation and the Joint Franco-Chinese Centre for Carbon Neutrality dedicated to promoting scientific and technological cooperation in the field of carbon neutrality. France and China wish to promote research exchanges, in particular through the Franco-Chinese Scientific Partnership Programme (the Hubert Curien – Cai Yuanpei Partnership). The two countries also intend to continue the implementation of the France-China Young Talents Programme in order to strengthen exchanges between young researchers from the two countries and promote cooperation in priority areas and the development of joint research activities.
32. Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the two Presidents wish to make sport an important component of the bilateral relationship, particularly in terms of exchanges of young athletes, development of sports infrastructure and sharing expertise in relation to the sports industry.
V. A joint response to global challenges
33. Against the backdrop of food crises which affected 323 million people in 2022 according to the United Nations, the two countries are committed to maintaining market stability, avoiding unjustified export restrictions on inputs as well as agricultural products, and optimizing global food supply chains, starting with facilitating the export of cereals and fertilizers. The two countries are working to achieve these goals, including through the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) initiative and the Chinese initiative for global food security.
34. France and China agree on the importance of increasing support for the countries hardest hit by the food crisis, including their African partners, to build resilient and sustainable food systems. To that end, they intend to promote international cooperation for local production and against food loss and wastage. With this in mind, they are providing joint support to the competent organizations to address the issue of food security, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), financial institutions and multilateral and bilateral donors.
35. France and China highlight their support for the rules-based, WTO-centred multilateral trading system, undertake to build a free, open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory trading environment, support the necessary WTO reform and support a positive outcome for the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.
36. France and China intend to cooperate to resolve the difficulties in accessing financing in developing and emerging economies, and to encourage them to speed up their energy and climate transition while supporting sustainable development. China will take part in the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris in June 2023. France will attend the third “Belt and Road” Forum for International Cooperation.
37. The two countries agree to strengthen cooperation as part of the G20 so that the G20 plays its role as a major forum for global economic cooperation and, in line with its commitments made by the leaders at the Bali Summit, works to further the reform of the international monetary and financial system.
38. Against the backdrop of more vulnerable developing countries, France and China support the implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments adopted by the G20 and the Paris Club which they joined in November 2020. The two countries reiterate their commitment to implementing the Common Framework in a timely, predictable, ordered, and coordinated manner, as well as their support for the debt agenda adopted at the meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in February 2023.
39. They appreciated that the G20 Summit in Bali welcomed the voluntary channelling of special drawing rights (SDR) and they call on the G20 Member States and volunteer States to increase their action, with a 30% increase in SDR made available for G20 countries, in order to quickly reach the $100 billion goal adopted at the G20 Rome Summit.
40. The climate, biodiversity and the fight against land degradation are among the priorities shared by France and China. The two countries undertake to maintain a high level of ambition, following on from the Beijing Call launched in November 2019 and in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, as well as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (hereinafter referred to as the “Kunming-Montreal Framework”), adopted during the second part of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) and which both parties welcome. China, which chairs the COP15 for the next two years, intends to work actively with France to fully and effectively implement the Kunming-Montreal Framework. France and China welcome the active contribution of the Kunming Fund and the facility which will be created to fund biodiversity under the Global Environment Facility. They welcome the work set out at the One Forest Summit in Libreville.
41. By COP16, France and China are committed to set out their revised national strategies and action plans, which will be aligned with the global biodiversity framework. China will positively consider joining the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. The two countries are contributing to the goal of reducing subsidies that harm biodiversity by $500 billion per year.
42. France and China reaffirm their respective commitments to climate neutrality and carbon neutrality. France is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. China is committed to reaching its CO2 emissions peak by 2030 and to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The two countries will adopt policies and measures to implement their goals as regards nationally-determined contributions aligned with those of the Paris Agreement.
43. They hugely appreciate the progress on climate change made at COP27 and are committed to maintaining close discussions and coordination in the run-up to COP28, so that the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement will be a success and encouraging progress can be seen on issues like mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, as well as implementation methods.
44. France and China support the promotion and development of financing contributing to the ecological transition. They are encouraging their financial sectors (including banks, insurers, managers and asset owners) to align their activities with the goals of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, as well as those of preserving biodiversity, developing the circular economy, managing, controlling and reducing pollution, and blue finance. France and China are also encouraging discussion between agencies and development banks, central banks, regulators and financial authorities in the area of green and sustainable finance, with the aim of sharing their experiences and promoting the establishment and improvement of standards, including in the area of standardizing extra-financial information. They are committed to supporting the development of sustainable capital markets.
45. France and China are aware that the building sector accounts for a large share of their greenhouse gas emissions and are actively considering joining the Buildings Breakthrough initiative. The two countries are stepping up their cooperation to promote reduced energy consumption and decarbonization of buildings and to encourage sustainable urban development.
46. France and China are taking action to protect the Ocean. The two countries welcome the finalization by the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction of a text aimed at ensuring the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and continue to step up discussions and coordination as part of the follow-up process to that text. The two Heads of State reaffirmed that their countries will work to promote the conservation of marine living resources in the Antarctic in accordance with the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and are continuing discussions on creating marine protected areas in the Antarctic. France and China are working within the UN Decade for Ocean Sciences for sustainable development and have created national committees, in 2021 and 2022 respectively, in order to highlight the importance of knowledge in order to better protect the oceans. They recognize the importance of combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
47. France and China are working to bring about a successful UN Ocean Conference 2025, to be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. China will examine the roadmap proposed by France, linking their respective COP15 Kunming presidencies on biodiversity and the third UN Ocean Conference, to be held in Nice in 2025.
48. France and China are fighting pollution generated by plastics (including microplastics), are supporting and participating in the negotiating work of the Intergovernmental Committee mandated by resolutions 5/14 adopted during the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), and are working to adopt a legally-binding international instrument.
49. France and China are committed to sustainably protecting and managing forest ecosystems, supporting scientific research on more sustainable value chains and combatting illegal logging and its associated trade. They intend to further cooperation on the conservation of nature as well as the protection, restoration and sustainable use of steppe zones. Within this framework, France and China welcome the active cooperation between the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) and China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA).
50. France and China will work together towards a fairer energy transition in developing countries through fair energy transition partnerships and other tools.
51. France and China highlight the importance for the development of each country of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in line with the goals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations./.