Trade between China and France rose 4.1 percent year on year to 68.8 billion U.S. dollars from January to October this year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
Underscoring another key aspect of the fruitful economic and trade cooperation between China and France, He Yadong, the spokesman, told a regular press conference that two-way investment has exceeded 27 billion U.S. dollars in the January-October period.
The spokesman revealed the figures as French President Emmanuel Macron continues his three-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.
The visit, lasting through Friday, is the French president's fourth state visit to China and a reciprocal visit to President Xi's historic state visit to France last year that marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, economic and trade cooperation between China and France have achieved fruitful results, fully serving as the ballast and propeller of bilateral relations. I have a set of statistics here showing that bilateral trade has expanded in volume and improved in quality. During the January-October period this year, the China-France trade value reached 68.8 billion U.S. dollars, rising 4.1 percent year on year, while cumulative two-way investment has steadily increased and exceeded 27 billion U.S. dollars," said the spokesman.
He said the Seventh Meeting of the China-France Business Council was held in Beijing on Thursday morning, with over 150 enterprise representatives discussing green development, industrial transformation and cross-border investment opportunities.
"Jointly witnessed by President Xi and President Macron, China's Ministry of Commerce and France's Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Two-Way Investment between China and France. Both sides will support and encourage enterprises of the two countries to increase two-way investment and provide a fair, just, non-discriminatory and predictable business environment for each other's companies," he said.
Going forward, China will work with the French side to implement the important economic and trade consensus reached by the two heads of state and continuously deliver more progress in promoting practical cooperation between the two countries, the spokesman added.
China-France trade up 4.1 pct in first 10 months
