French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at Red Brick Museum in Beijing on April 5, 2023. Photo: VCG

French President Emmanuel Macron will make a state visit to China from December 3 to 5, traveling first to Beijing then to Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, his office said Wednesday local time, according to media reports. 

"Major issues of the strategic partnership between France and China will be addressed, as well as several major international issues and areas of cooperation to resolve the global challenges of our time," the Élysée said, according to Le Monde. 

According to the Élysée, Macron will carry during this visit "an agenda of cooperation and balance in economic and commercial matters - an ambition that will be at the heart of the French presidency of the G7 in 2026," French news channel BFM TV reported.

The Le Monde report also noted that Macron's visit follows the return this week of two giant pandas loaned to France by China, who were flown back to their ancestral home to retire at the Chengdu panda sanctuary. "Before they departed, a Chinese Embassy official promised new bears would soon be dispatched to make up for the popular pair leaving," according to the report.

In the lead-up to Macron's visit, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, held a phone call on Thursday with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

During the conversation, Wang said that the current international landscape is marked by intertwined turbulence, with new problems and challenges constantly emerging. Under such circumstances, China and France need to maintain regular dialogue and strengthen strategic coordination. 

Wang noted that China hopes France will encourage the EU to pursue a positive and rational policy toward China, uphold the fundamental positioning of partnership, properly handle economic and trade differences through dialogue and consultation, and help ensure that China-EU relations develop along the right track.

Bonne said that President Macron looks forward to visiting China very soon to consolidate and deepen the friendship between the two heads of state, and to engage in in-depth strategic communication on advancing France-China and EU-China relations, as well as jointly addressing global crises. He added that Paris believes the upcoming visit will steer bilateral ties toward high-quality development and contribute to world peace and stability.

Wang also elaborated on China's position regarding the Taiwan question, stressing that the current Japanese leader has recently made provocative remarks on Taiwan, openly reversing the course of history and undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China and France, he noted, as permanent members of the UN Security Council and comprehensive strategic partners, should work together to safeguard the outcomes of World War II and firmly support each other on issues concerning their core interests. Wang expressed the hope that France will continue to firmly uphold the one-China principle.

In response, Bonne said France adheres to its tradition of independent diplomacy and remains steadfast in its one-China policy, adding that Paris understands China's legitimate position on the Taiwan question.

Expert noted that Macron's planned visit to China is expected to focus primarily on economic and trade cooperation, and that the trip is likely to inject positive momentum into China-France relations. 

Macron's visit comes at a time when France is grappling with economic and political challenges at home, and strengthening trade ties with China could provide much-needed support for France's economic recovery and domestic stability, Sun Yanhong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Both China-France and China-EU relations are currently facing headwinds, and the French government's approach toward China remains ambivalent. While Paris seeks to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Beijing, it has also rolled out a series of trade protectionist measures targeting China. This reflects a balancing act between maintaining cooperation and responding to political pressures and strategic considerations, Sun said. "Concrete policies and statements following Macron's visit will be key to assessing the trajectory of bilateral ties," Sun added.

Global Times