China is ready to work with France and other countries in the world to move forward hand in hand despite wind and rain, and jointly create a better future, President Xi Jinping said in Paris on Monday.
Xi made the remarks at a press conference together with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron after talks between the two leaders.
"This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. After 75 years of hard work, tremendous changes have taken place in the country and the life of the people. But one thing has never changed, which is the nature of peace and kindness, the broad-minded and inclusive relations, and the pursuit of fairness and justice. It is rooted in more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and grows in the soul of the Chinese people. China is ready to work with France and other countries in the world to develop friendly and cooperative relations on the basis of mutual respect, move forward hand in hand despite wind and rain, and jointly create a better future," Xi said.
"The France-China relationship is steeped in history, and features mutual respect and mutual trust. I believe it can play a useful role beyond bilateral relations, and to a large extent, promote EU-China relations and world stability. Your Excellency President, I would like to thank you once again for your third state visit to France, which is of great importance at such a sensitive time in the global situation," Macron said.
Xi arrived in Paris on Sunday for a state visit to France at the invitation of Macron.
This is the second state visit by China's head of state to France in five years and coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
Xi says China ready to work with other countries to create better future
Xi says China ready to work with other countries to create better future
Xi says China ready to work with other countries to create better future
Xi says China ready to work with other countries to create better future
The ongoing 8th China-Russia Expo in Harbin City of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is bringing new opportunities to businesses from both sides.
The event, taking place from May 16 to 21, has attracted nearly 200 Chinese companies and 170 Russian firms to present more than 5,000 products in over 20 major categories from 10 sectors at the exhibition area, which spans 388,000 square meters.
The expo is attended by representatives from 16 Russian federal entities, including Moscow, Kamchatka, Arkhangelsk and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
"The Republic of Sakha has been participating in the Russia-China Expo from the very beginning. Our relations with China, in particular with the province of Heilongjiang, are already more than 20 years old. Today, we are presenting investment projects at the Russia-China Expo in Harbin City in the fields of industry, tourism, science and mining. You can see them here, in the pavilion of our republic," Yuliana Diryakhova, deputy general director of the Agency for Attracting Investments and Supporting Exports of the Republic of Sakha.
"Our company is participating in the China-Russia Expo for the first time, and we are lucky that this 8th edition is the largest. We brought many of our star products such as live king crabs and prepared frozen products. Our products have been popular both in Russia and in the Chinese market due to the reputation of good quality and the big size of our company in the industry," said Shen Yingjie, head of the Shanghai Representative Office of Russian Crab Group of Companies.
In addition to products, the Expo is also showcasing artworks at booths like the Russian "Cultural Cluster".
"I'm participating in the Harbin Expo for the third time. The first time was in 2017. Actually, the paintings that I brought this time are all at my booth. For example, here is a new work from the series - I have a series of iris - so I made a new work for this series. Actually, at this exhibition, I expect to find new partners, new friends, and get new pleasant impressions," said Vasily Matyukhin, a Russian artist.
Since its inception in 2014, the expo has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian enterprises, as well as over 1.05 million merchants, facilitating contracts totaling 446.8 billion yuan (about 63 billion U.S. dollars) in value.
In the meantime, countless consumers have expanded their choice of available goods and services thanks to the event.
"I come to the exhibition every year, as I live in Harbin. The Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair has been held for many years. This year, the China-Russia Expo is held simultaneously, attracting more visitors. At the exhibition, you can see many Russian products, as well as products from Heilongjiang and other Chinese provinces," said a visitor.
The Expo will last until May 21. This year, it is part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.
The event serves as a platform to highlight Russia's socio-economic development, investment opportunities, cooperative projects, quality products and distinctive cultural elements.
In 2023, trade between China and Russia reached 240.1 billion U.S. dollars, achieving an established trade target of 200 billion U.S. dollars ahead of schedule. In the first quarter of 2024, bilateral trade amounted to 56.68 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent.
China-Russia expo brings new opportunities to both countries
