Macron's China visit marks "new path forward" in bilateral ties: former French PM

French President Emmanuel Macron's just-concluded state visit to China offers a significant opportunity for the two major powers to boost ties and redefine their vision for global governance, according to former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

Raffarin was speaking in an interview with the China Media Group (CMG) in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Friday, where Macron wrapped up his three-day state visit to China with a series of cultural activities.

Macron had earlier held formal talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the two heads of state witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents, met the press and attended and addressed the closing ceremony of the seventh meeting of China-France Business Council.

Raffarin said Macron's visit has gone a long way to promoting stronger bilateral trade ties and more investment between the two countries, noting both China and France play key roles in the international community.

"This meeting between President Xi and President Macron is very important. It marks a new path forward. To rebalance our trade relations, we have three objectives for this mission. First, [we want] to strengthen our trade partnership, Chinese investment in France, French investment in China, and greater cooperation with a view to rebalancing our trade relations. Secondly, in 2026, China will play a major role within APEC, just as France does within the G7. Dialog between Xi Jinping and Macron will therefore enable us to develop a vision for global governance, reforming multilateralism, and world peace. And then, of course, the third objective was to strengthen cultural cooperation, since culture is very important in Sino-French relations. Ultimately, culture is an expression of the sensibilities of our peoples. The Chinese and French peoples are two peoples who like each other because they are two sensitive peoples," he said.

During talks between the two leaders in Beijing on Thursday, President Xi said China and France should seize opportunities and consolidate cooperation in traditional fields such as aviation, aerospace and nuclear energy, while tapping into the potential for cooperation in areas including the green economy, digital economy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence and new energy.

Macron said France is willing to promote mutual investment with China, strengthen cooperation in trade, renewable energy, and other fields, and promote friendly cultural exchanges.

Raffarin believes this sends out a strong signal to the business community and said it will open up new opportunities for both French and Chinese entrepreneurs.

"We are facing major transformations. These transformations are naturally digital, climatic, and ecological. We are experiencing many changes, including artificial intelligence. In today's fast-moving world, France and China can collaborate. They can cooperate on innovation and technology, but also on regulations. To ensure that all this is done in a peaceful and orderly manner, I believe that cooperation will be strengthened and that entrepreneurs will be the winners. We need businesses to strengthen cooperation between the two countries," he said, noting how Macron brought along a large business delegation for his visit.

"At the China International Import Expo in early November, more than 100 French companies were present to see how to work in China with Chinese partners and invite Chinese partners to come and set up industry in Europe, participating in the reindustrialization of Europe. China has a place there," Raffarin added.

The visit was Macron's fourth state visit to China and was a reciprocal visit following President Xi's historic trip to France last year that marked the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations.

Macron's China visit marks "new path forward" in bilateral ties: former French PM

Macron's China visit marks "new path forward" in bilateral ties: former French PM

Macron's China visit marks "new path forward" in bilateral ties: former French PM

The Polish government has recently rolled out a series of emergency measures to cushion the impact of energy costs on households in light of rising oil prices and increasing inflation risks.

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, international crude oil prices have jumped, pushing fuel prices in Poland up by more than 30 percent over the past month. Starting Tuesday, the Polish government began implementing a package of measures aimed at reducing fuel costs. These include lowering the value-added tax on fuel, cutting excise duties to the minimum level permitted under the European Union (EU) regulations, and cracking down on price gouging to maintain market stability.

Notably, gas stations in Poland have seen an increase in customers following the price cuts. Still, many residents believed the reduction is only temporary and that prices will likely rise again in the future.

"Even though the government has lowered prices, they are still high. I think the price cut might last for a while, but it's hard to say how long. I think this is just the beginning and the prices will rise in the future," said Arkadiusz, a local resident.

Polish economist Tomasz Bieliński said that it remains unclear how long the government can sustain these policies, and that rising energy prices are now transmitting pressure to core areas of the macroeconomy. In his view, if oil prices continue to climb, the European Central Bank and other central banks across the EU may be forced to adjust their monetary policies.

"Interest rates were actually reduced in most of the central banks in Europe. But, this reduction will probably stop, because we have rising prices of pretty much everything on the horizon," he said.

Poland unveils measures to ease pain of soaring oil prices