Liu said, for more than half a century, China-France relations have maintained a high level and strategic significance, showing the distinctive enterprising and pioneering spirit. To answer the question of the time “what is going on with the world and what shall we do about it,” the CPC put forward the plan to build a community with a shared future for mankind, insisted on running its own affairs well, and has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a maintainer of the international order.

Currently, the Chinese people are promoting Chinese modernization under the leadership of the CPC. With over 1.4 billion people on course toward modernization, a number larger than the combined population of all developed countries, China will surely provide stronger impetus for the economy of the world, including that of Europe. The joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping are public goods provided by China for the international community and also open platforms for achieving common development and common prosperity. We adhere to the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, give equal importance to material and technological progress and the construction of cultural-ethical advancement, and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and cultures. China and Europe share common concepts, advanced technologies and broad markets in green development. Both sides have the ability and responsibility to lead the construction of global ecological civilization. Both China and Europe advocate diverse civilizations and should work together to build the spiritual homeland of mankind. China is the only country in the world that pledges to “keep to a path of peaceful development” in its Constitution. It is the only one among the five Nuclear-Weapon States that is committed to no-first-use of nuclear weapons. Europe upholds the concept of peaceful development. It is hoped that China and Europe will cooperate to respond to global challenges, and contribute to maintaining global security and stability.

Liu said, China is a beneficiary of the existing international order. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping has been endorsed in multiple United Nations documents. The three global initiatives firmly support the core position of the United Nations in international affairs. Against the current background of sluggish global economic recovery, the Chinese economy has strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. The fundamentals sustaining China's long-term growth will remain unchanged. China will continue to create new development opportunities for countries around the world. China-EU relations have achieved fruitful results over the past decades. And both sides have not changed respective political systems and social models. We do not "import" foreign models, nor do we "export" the Chinese model. Interdependence is the biggest feature of the era of globalization and the inevitable product of international division of labor. Non-cooperation will lead to non-development, and non-development is the real risk. China supports the EU's strategic independence, but firmly opposes shutting out China in the name of “de-risking”. China is willing to work with France and other European countries to safeguard free trade, ensure the security of global industrial and supply chains, adhere to true multilateralism, jointly oppose hegemonism and unilateralism, and build a better future for mankind.

Liu also communicated with participants on China's foreign policy, China-EU relations and China's economic prospects, answered questions from the audience, and elaborated on the Chinese side's principled positions on the Taiwan question, the Ukraine crisis, the situation in the Middle East, nuclear disarmament and other issues.

Founded in 1979, the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) is a well-known international relations research institution in France.

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