China, France see development potential in bilateral economic ties: expert

China and France are highly complementary economically, creating vast opportunities for trade and investment, said an expert on Monday as Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying a state visit to France.

During an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow from the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation said that the relationship between China and France holds significant importance due to the numerous areas of innovation that both countries excel in.

From aeronautics to transportation technology, there are ample opportunities for collaboration and discussion to enhance innovation and cooperation, said Zhou.

"We know that China and Europe will have so many common understandings about how the world can work, like for the common rules for the WTO and also out of practices to speak to the opening and fairly competition. Well, for China and France, I think it's very significant because our two countries have so many things in the innovation areas. So we have a lot of areas like for aeronautics, like for some of the technology for the transportation, we have so many things to discuss about the innovation cooperation," said Zhou.

Zhou said that the two countries possess extensive expertise in operating and constructing rapid transportation systems, which is crucial for optimizing logistics and enhancing efficiency in the transportation sector.

"I would argue that for the transportation areas that China and France we have many experiences on operating and building a very rapid transportation. And it's really important for the logistic, for improving the efficiency. While on the other hand, I would also argue that when we are trying to deal with a lot of challenges that China and France, we have many companies involved in these areas in the digital economies and also in some of the things to address the challenges. Like for China is the biggest, I mean for the population in the world and France is one of the quickest increasing countries in Europe. So we have so many rooms to explore for improving the jobs for the people and there's really are potentials for us to discuss also on the agriculture, health and other areas," said Zhou.

According to an official from China's General Administration of Customs, China is France's largest trading partner in Asia. And France is China's third-largest trading partner in the EU (European Union), with total bilateral trade volume of 78.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Data also shows that from 2019 to 2023, China's imports and exports with France grew by 5.9 percent annually.

In the consumer goods sector, China's imports from France grew 12.3 percent annually from 2019 to 2023. Among them, imports of cosmetics, bags, jewelry, clothing, and clocks and watches have seen double-digit growth in terms of average annual growth rate.

Also in the same period, China's imports of material technology products from France grew by 38.8 percent, biotechnology products rose 13.9 percent, and integrated circuits were up 14 percent.

China, France see development potential in bilateral economic ties: expert

An interactive exhibition in the coastal city of Tianjin in north China has become a big hit through its use of virtual reality technology.

May 18 marks the International Museum Day. China officially joined the International Council of Museums in 1983 and has organized International Museum Day events every year since then.

Promising a more multi-dimensional and interactive experience, Tianjin Museum has launched a new exhibition named "Shining Treasures" with virtual reality technology, showcasing its most famous exhibits.

"With this equipment (of VR glasses), we can gain a deeper understanding of its historical origins and creation," said a visitor.

Tianjin Museum proudly displays a priceless bottle from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), adorned with imported enamel color materials. Porcelain like this was used by the Emperor at the time, making this exhibit one of the museum's most famous.

"This is peony, and these are two pheasants. What does this ornamentation mean? It means wealth and prosperity. (On this bottle we can see) poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seals. It's a complete picture. There are four enamel colored bottles like this in the world," said Gao Yingshuang, a staff member at the museum.

The exhibits may be priceless, but they've also inspired a number of affordable products. Tianjin Museum has created a number of cultural and creative products based on exhibits, including jewelry, stationery, fridge magnets, ice cream and lollipops.

"(The first thing is to) inherit, and it must be inherited, so as to make young people like them. Second, it's important that common people can have access to these. They aren't so expensive. And they can improve our character, like the Chinese paintings," said another visitor.

Tianjin Museum is the largest of its kind in the city, hosting nearly 200,000 historical and cultural artifacts ranging from calligraphy and paintings to bronze wares, ceramics and jade. It's a hub for appreciating and learning about China's rich heritage.

VR interactive exhibition big hit at Tianjin Museum