Paris, October 10th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, held discussions here today with representatives of French business community. About 20 French business leaders, including Jean-Paul Agon, Co-chairman of the France China Committee and Chairman of L'Oréal Group, attended the event.

Liu noted, in recent years, China-France relations have enjoyed active and stable development under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state. Bilateral trade volume and mutual direct investment have grown steadily, with in-depth cooperation on major projects. The Chinese side appreciates the positive role that the France China Committee and the French business community have played in strategic alignment and practical cooperation between the two countries for a long time,  and the positive energy injected into China-France and China-European Union (EU) cooperation. It is hoped that entrepreneurs from China and France will strengthen their confidence, continue to forge ahead, and strive for win-win cooperation, to promote the sound and steady growth of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.

Liu said, interdependence is the inevitable result of economic globalization. China's development cannot be separated from the world, and the world's prosperity also needs China. China and France see stability, certainty and common development opportunities in interdependence, rather than risks. As China continues to promote high-quality development and high-level opening up to the outside world, its advantages such as its ultra-large market, complete industrial system, large number of high-quality workers, and first-class business environment will become more prominent and continue to create new development opportunities for countries around the world, including France. Recently, the Chinese government has introduced relevant policies to further optimize the foreign investment environment to help foreign-funded enterprises better integrate into China's new development pattern. It is hoped that all entrepreneurs will seize the opportunity, strengthen cooperation to deal with risks, deepen cooperation to achieve greater development, and contribute to maintaining the momentum of global economic recovery and safeguarding the stability of the international economic and trade landscape. It is expected that the French side will keep its market open and provide Chinese companies with a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment.

Agon and other French business representatives said that the Chinese market is one of the most important global markets for French companies. France-China economic and trade cooperation is developing rapidly, with broad prospects. The French side has benefited from China's reform, opening up and rapid development, is willing to further expand investment in China, and looks forward to China's introduction of relevant measures to further promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation. French companies favor China and look forward to deepening cooperation in the fields of food, medicine, automobiles, shipping, renewable energy and other fields, building high-quality partnerships, achieving win-win cooperation, and developing together with China. The France China Committee is ready to provide support to promote cooperation between the two countries and propel mutually beneficial cooperation for more fruitful results.

The Chinese side also responded to questions upon request and elaborated on China's policy positions on small and medium-sized enterprise financing, data security, intellectual property protection, energy transition, ecological and environmental protection, artificial intelligence, climate change policies and other questions.

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