On 28 August local time in Paris, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Foreign Policy Adviser to the President of France Emmanuel Bonne.

Wang noted the frequent high-level exchanges and in-depth strategic communication between China and France which speak volumes about the strength of their comprehensive strategic partnership. Under the new normal of COVID-19 containment, the two countries need to make good use of the "fast track" to resume personnel exchanges in an orderly manner and promote joint research and development of drugs and vaccines as part of their contribution to an early and complete victory of the international community over the virus. China will deepen its cooperation with France on major projects such as the spent fuel reprocessing plant and take their strategic cooperation to a new height. China also supports France in playing an important role in the global response to climate change.

Wang said that China and the EU, as independent forces in the world, have far more common interests than differences. The two sides are partners, not rivals. In the face of mounting unilateralism and protectionism, China and the EU must jointly stand for multilateralism and uphold the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law and the free trade regime represented by the WTO. China will make sound plans with France and the EU for their high-level exchanges at the next stage, and advance cooperation in such areas as climate change and digital economy. Efforts will be made to conclude negotiations on the China-EU bilateral investment treaty (BIT) within this year and seek further progress in China-EU relations.

Bonne described China-France cooperation as wide-ranging and robust. France is keen to join China in promoting such cooperation agenda as vaccine research and development, debt relief in Africa and digital economy, and step up collaboration in spent fuel reprocessing plant and other fields. The two sides will work together for political settlement of hot-spot issues and for the success of the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille and the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming in 2021. Cooperation between the EU and China is of strategic importance. France sets great store by EU-China cooperation and is in favor of formulating an ambitious plan for a highly effective EU-China partnership. France is committed to closer EU-China high-level exchanges and will work with relevant parties in planning for the exchanges and cooperation post COVID-19, with a view to bringing the EU-China strategic cooperation to the next level.