The recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing, holds great global significance, said some French people during recent street interviews in Paris by China Global Television Network.
Trump paid a state visit to China from last Wednesday to Friday. During the visit, Xi and Trump held talks on Thursday, agreeing on a new vision for building a constructive China-U.S. relations of strategic stability.
The two leaders also engaged in candid, in-depth, constructive and strategic communication on major issues concerning world peace and development, exploring a proper way for the two major countries to coexist and reach a series of consensuses.
The historic meeting between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state has been closely watched around the world. In Paris, residents said the meeting holds great significance given the considerable global influence of both China and the United States.
"China and the United States are major powers in the world. I recognize that major world powers share a common interest in prospering together. I'd like to think that when one country thrives, it can benefit the other, and that all countries can support one another. That's how I'd prefer to put it," said Sakur, a resident.
Eve, another resident, noted that any decisions made by the two powers will inevitably affect the rest of the world.
"I have the impression that these two countries are very influential on a global scale. So any decision they make necessarily has an impact on the rest of the world," said Eve.
Trump's visit marked the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly nine years and his second since November 2017. Many believe the visit carries profound significance.
"I believe that last time a U.S. president visited China was in 2017 – by Trump himself. So, I see this as an opportunity for improving diplomatic relations. It is a long process; years go by between visits," said Victor.
Victor also expressed hope for greater China-France cooperation in sci-tech research and development.
"It is clear that China has enormous potential in research. I am talking about engineers and all related fields. In France, we produce good engineers and good scientists, and I think collaboration in that area would be very beneficial. I believe science has helped bring countries together in research, regardless of what else is happening. We see this often. So in research and engineering, I think we can be very complementary, and that can help improve broader diplomatic relations. So I think it is a very positive development," he said.
Xi-Trump meeting of global significance: French residents
The 10th China-Russia Expo opened on Sunday in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, highlighting the resilience, vitality and mutual benefits of China-Russia economic ties.
Held from May 17 to 21, this year's expo covers a floor space of 55,000 square meters, with more than 1,500 companies from 46 countries and regions taking part. Nearly 300 Russian companies are attending, while over 5,000 buyers are expected.
Since 2014, the event has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian companies and over a million visitors.
The China-Russia Expo is the largest comprehensive exhibition platform between the two countries.
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin each sent congratulatory letters to the event, encouraging all sectors from both countries to seize the opportunity, make full use of their geographical proximity and economic complementarity, and further expand all-round practical cooperation.
"Leaders of the two countries have signed agreements to deepen practical cooperation, which we fully support. Russia and China stand side by side for common development, benefiting young people and all people. Such cooperation is timely and far-reaching. We are here in Harbin for the China-Russia Expo, coming from Russia's Sakha Republic. Our region is dominated by agriculture. We are seeking advanced farming technologies including irrigation equipment and harvesters. We hope to reach deals in the coming days to boost local development," said Vasiliy Petrovich Alexeev, head of Ust-Aidan Region of the Russian Federation.
"We are greatly inspired by the congratulatory letters from the heads of state of China and Russia. We will keep building targeted and efficient cooperation platforms, and smooth channels for sub-national exchanges between China and Russia," said Chen Shijun, president of Heilongjiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
China-Russia trade volume has surpassed 200 billion U.S. dollars for three consecutive years. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 16 years running.
In the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade volume hit 60 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of more than 14 percent.
This year's Expo features eight major exhibition zones. Beyond the exhibition halls, Russian delegations have also conducted field visits to Chinese companies. A delegation from the Republic of Buryatia visited one of northeast China's largest building materials distribution centers to explore potential areas of cooperation.
"Regular China-Russia economic and trade events continuously bring fresh cooperation opportunities for both sides. This field trip to Xilong Building Materials Market has helped us explore more practical directions and modes for bilateral cooperation," said Alexei Tsydenov, head of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation.
"Relying on Buryatia's abundant mineral resources and sound logistics conditions, we plan to build industrial parks focusing on home building materials, mineral resources and energy sectors in Russia. We will introduce advanced Chinese technologies and management models to drive coordinated industrial upgrading between the two countries," said Wu Jinrong, vice president of Harbin Xilong International Trade and Logistics Park.
From everyday consumer goods to advanced helicopters, and from mineral resources to intelligent robotics, China-Russia cooperation now spans a wide range of sectors. Economic ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to advance toward higher-quality development and broader prospects.
China-Russia Expo promotes trust, cooperation, mutual benefit
