President Xi Jinping arrives in Paris for a state visit to France at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, May 5, 2024. Xi was received by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal at Paris Orly airport upon arrival. [Photo/Xinhua]
Meanwhile, a more solid and robust comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France will enable a better response to global challenges such as climate change, Feng said.
"This tour holds particular significance, as it comes at a time of complex international dynamics, where global and geopolitical challenges necessitate collaboration between China and Europe to uphold and practice genuine multilateralism," he added.
Jin Ling, a research fellow on European studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said that stronger certainty in the relationship between Beijing and Paris will add greater certainty to the ties between China and the EU.
"France has a long tradition of strategic autonomy in Europe, and this autonomy has been one of the key factors for deep-seated friendship with China," she said.
Despite differences between Beijing and Brussels, the headquarters of the EU, they both oppose decoupling and the severing of supply chains, while upholding multilateral resolution of global issues, she said.
