The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France on 27 January 1964 triggered a “diplomatic nuclear explosion” in the western world. Chairman Mao Zedong and General de Gaulle joined hands to break the ice of the Cold War and overcome the gap between the two camps, which not only started a new chapter in China-France friendship, but also opened the door for China-West exchanges and cooperation, thus bringing the world pattern onto the right track of dialogue and cooperation. 

Over the past six decades, China-France relations have always been a pacesetter for the relations with Western countries. China and France have always been brave pioneers and supported each other on the way forward, representing a prime example for countries with different cultures, systems and development levels to pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation and make progress together. The “China-France spirit” forged in the past 60 years is especially invaluable in today’s world of changes unseen in a century. 

A review of the past 60 years points to the success of China and France in living up to the original aspiration identified for the establishment of diplomatic relations and in adhering to independence, equality, mutual benefit and practical cooperation. The numerous “firsts” scored in the 60-year eventful journey of this bilateral relationship are testimony to the two countries’ commitment to achieving common development through mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting mutual learning between two cultures through exchanges on an equal footing. 

Since the founding of New China, it has been China’s position to revoke all unfair treaties of Old China and develop diplomatic relations on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. In 1958, General de Gaulle came back to power and practiced the foreign policy of pursuing independence and freedom and opposing US hegemony. The spirit of independence as upheld by both sides became the important precondition for the establishment of their diplomatic relations.  

When meeting the visiting delegation of French parliamentarians on 30 January following the initiation of diplomatic ties, Chairman Mao Zedong said that the reason why China and France could cooperate was the two points the two sides had in common, i.e., first, both against being bullied by big powers; second, both willing to have exchanges and interactions with each other commercially and culturally. These simple remarks run deep as they represent the original aspiration of the two countries for the establishment of diplomatic relations, which boils down to the adherence to independent development and freedom from external interference and pursuit of equal and mutually-beneficial cooperation to advance the two countries’ respective national and social development. 

In September 1973, President Pompidou visited China, being the first French head of state to visit China and the first among heads of state of Western European countries to visit China. The China-France Communique released during the visit pointed out that despite the different social systems between the two countries, China-France relations had a good foundation, because the two countries shared the principle that all countries are equal and should respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, no matter how different they are in size and social systems.

In May 1975, Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping who was in charge of the work of the State Council visited France, which was the first official visit by a Chinese leader to France and to a Western European country. The visit laid an important foundation for China-France relations and took the relationship a big step forward, as it served to enhance political mutual trust and strategic communication and strengthen institutional building for exchanges and cooperation.

Since the start of the 1980s, China and France have made huge progress in economic, sci-tech and cultural exchanges and cooperation. In October 1980, President d'Estaing visited China and had an in-depth exchange of views with Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders on major international issues and bilateral relations and the visit produced a number of principle agreements on economic, nuclear energy and technology cooperation. In November 1987, Chairman Li Xiannian paid a visit to France, the first visit by China’s head of state to France. During the visit, China and France signed the fiscal protocol for economic and technical cooperation, pursuant to which, the French government provided a total of 640 million francs in mixed loans to China. 

In 1997, France became the first major Western country to forge a comprehensive partnership with China. During President Chirac’s visit to China in May 1997, the heads of state of the two countries signed the China-France Joint Statement, pronouncing the establishment of the comprehensive partnership oriented towards the 21st century. 

On the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2004, France became the first major Western country to forge a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. The joint statement issued by the two countries in January 2004 indicated the commitment of China and France to strengthening the multilateral system, safeguarding collective security, deepening bilateral cooperation on major international issues and working for a more secure and stable international environment.

Ever since then, China-France exchanges and cooperation have been further expanded, with more frequent high-level interactions, intensified economic and trade ties and bilateral investment and deepened interactions in science and technology, education and culture in particular. 

As the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France was celebrated in 2014, President Xi Jinping paid a visit to France, during which, the two heads of state issued another joint statement, deciding to work for a new era of close and enduring China-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. As indicated by the joint statement, the two sides reaffirmed the commitment to maintaining regular strategic dialogue, advocating joint efforts for world multipolarity, adhering to multilateralism, resolving disputes through dialogue and peaceful means, working together for the robust, sustainable, and balanced growth of the world economy, creating an open and rules-based global trading system, jointly promoting cultural harmony, respecting the unique values of different cultures and strengthening coordination on climate change.

In 2019, the heads of state of the two countries reached important consensus on forging a more ambitious and dynamic China-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the two sides also issued a joint statement on working together to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. 

The joint statement issued in 2023 proclaimed that the two sides would strengthen political dialogue and promote political mutual trust. 

The 60-year journey of China-France relations has registered gradually deepening political mutual trust, intensifying cooperation in various areas and huge progress of the two countries, on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and win-win results, in achieving their respective national and social development. The 60-year journey has also seen disputes and fluctuations in the bilateral relationship, but the two sides have managed to properly handle them in a timely manner, keeping to the original aspiration for the establishment of diplomatic ties, being foresighted, seeking common ground while shelving differences and never changing the will and confidence in working hand in hand to move forward together. That represents the keynote of 60 years of China-France ties. 

As early as 10 years ago, President Xi Jinping pointed out that “in developing China-France bilateral ties, the two countries and peoples have fostered the spirit of independence, mutual understanding, foresight and win-win cooperation”. The “China-France spirit” is indeed a perfect reflection of the two countries always bearing in mind the original aspiration at the time of establishment of diplomatic ties, continuously working to deepen political mutual trust and win-win cooperation and constantly increasing people-to-people connections. As what we have today, the Strategic Dialogue, the High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue and the High-Level Dialogue on People-to-People Exchanges have long been the three major pillars of China-France relations. 

The 60-year journey of China-France relations has been a continuous process of growing political mutual trust and deepening strategic cooperation, which is the foundation for taking the bilateral relationship to deeper levels. 

On issues of upholding national independence and sovereignty and territorial integrity, the two countries have always had shared positions. In 1963, in the run-up to the establishment of diplomatic relations, Premier Zhou Enlai, in his meeting with former French Premier Faure in Beijing, who was visiting China again for the matter of establishing diplomatic ties upon the invitation of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, indicated the commonality between China and France, i.e., the need to uphold its own independence and sovereignty, the rejection of being subject to interference and invasion by any other country, the call for upholding world peace on the international arena and no acceptance of a few big powers monopolizing world affairs. 

During the years of interactions and negotiations for establishing diplomatic ties, China adhered to the one-China principle, and at the same time, opposed national oppression and stood for the movement of independence of all peoples in the world in pursuit of national liberation. The realization of diplomatic relations was also founded on the basis of France’s recognition of Algeria’s independence and its proper handling of relations with Taiwan. That is exactly a practical testimony to the mutual understanding and mutual respect between China and France. 

The joint statement between China and France in 1997 about establishing the comprehensive partnership was the first joint statement the two countries had signed and also an important hallmark of further growth of China-France political mutual trust.

When the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership was forged in 2004, the two countries reaffirmed the commitment to develop China-France relations from a strategic height and with a view to long-term interests, continue to maintain the momentum of high-level exchange of visits, further strengthen the strategic consultation mechanism and enhance dialogue and consultation at different levels between different departments of the Foreign Ministries. 

In 2006, the two countries decided to maintain the annual meeting mechanism for the heads of state or the heads of government in order to plan for and steer the direction of the bilateral relationship and communicate and coordinate with each other on major international issues. 

Since 2014, China and France have had strategic dialogue regularly, with continuously expanding scopes and areas. In November 2019, the two sides issued the Action Plan for China-France Relations, highlighting the need to increase political dialogue and promote mutual trust. 

Economic and trade and sci-tech cooperation has always been the bond and propeller of China-France relations. In as early as the 1950s, economic and trade cooperation laid the foundation for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the sci-tech cooperation following the initiation of diplomatic ties has since served as the cornerstone for mutual benefit and win-win cooperation of the two countries. Over the past six decades since then, China-France trade soared by over 800 folds, from about US$ 100 million at the start of diplomatic ties to US$ 81.2 billion in 2022. At present, France is China’s third largest trading partner and third largest source of actual investment within the EU and China is France’s largest trading partner in Asia and 7th largest trading partner globally. 

Over the past sixty years, the two countries have jointly created numerous far-reaching “firsts”, not only in the political field, but more in the economic and sci-tech fields, which is a vivid expression of the common aspiration of the two countries for being realistic and pragmatic and working hand in hand towards the future. In specific terms, the bilateral cooperation in civil aviation, nuclear power, climate change and other areas provides fine examples of the “China-France spirit”. 

In the field of civil aviation, the Shanghai-Paris flight launched in 1966 became the first flight China had ever opened with any Western country. In 1967, the two countries implemented the first batch of contracts on helicopters. In 1985, the East China Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China became the first customer of Airbus in China. In the same year, Airbus started to outsource the production of parts to China’s aviation manufacturing industry. In May 2007, Airbus’s first general assembly facility outside Europe officially started construction in Tianjin. In 2016, Airbus’s first widebody aircraft completion and delivery center outside Europe entered into construction in Tianjin. China-France cooperation in the field of aviation industry started from equipment procurement and patent license transfer and has grown to cover production outsourcing, technology transfer and industrial cooperation. The shift in the mode of cooperation and the increase in the level and depth of cooperation has given a strong impetus to the start and growth of China’s civil aviation industry, serving as a model and pillar for the practical cooperation between the two countries in all areas. 

In 1978, the two sides signed the sci-tech cooperation agreement, the first of its kind China had ever had with a Western country. In the same year, China decided to purchase equipment for two nuclear power plants from France, thus ushering in a glorious journey of bilateral nuclear energy cooperation. In 1982, France created yet another “first”, as it signed with China a protocol for peaceful use of nuclear energy. Over the past few decades, China-France nuclear energy cooperation has gone through three important stages, first, France led and China followed; second, China led while France provided support; and finally, China and France work together for co-designing and co-construction. Cooperation on peaceful use of nuclear energy has become an integral part of the China-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

In 2007, the joint statement between China and France on climate change made it clear that the two sides would follow the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, respective capabilities and equity, increase dialogue and cooperation on climate change and establish a bilateral climate change consultation mechanism. China is always a firm supporter and actor for the Paris Agreement adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in 2015.

Early on in 1997, the China-France joint statement confirmed strengthened economic and trade cooperation as an integral part of the China-France comprehensive partnership and decided to intensify cooperation in all industrial sectors and in agriculture, services, environmental protection, and other fields. In 2004, the two countries decided to develop partnership between their key industrial sectors. In 2006, the two countries recognized the need to build closer industrial and financial partnership. In November 2013, the first China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in Beijing, during which, the two sides underlined the importance of promoting a new type of China-France economic and financial partnership that is comprehensive, mutually beneficial and sustainable. In 2014, Chinese and French Presidents reiterated the commitment to further deepen, expand and rebalance the bilateral economic cooperation under the framework of the China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue and in accordance with the principle of mutual benefit and common development. 

The Action Plan for China-France Relations in 2019 made a special point of advancing bilateral trade and two-way investment, improving global economic governance, making economic globalization more open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory and upholding the rules-based, WTO-centered multilateral trading regime. The China-France joint statement in 2023 highlighted the importance of carrying out economic exchanges and cooperation, with the commitment to provide enterprises with fair and non-discriminatory conditions for competition, in particular, in the fields of cosmetics, agriculture and agri-food products, air traffic management, finance, health, energy, investment and sustainable development.

People-to-people cultural exchanges are always the important bond that keeps the China-France relationship resilient. Before the establishment of diplomatic ties, non-governmental interactions and cultural contacts had been growing continuously, which garnered important public support for the official diplomatic relations. In May 1952, the various sectors in France set up the France-China Friendship Association, which, as a non-governmental organization, brought together many French friends of China and later did a huge amount of work for greater non-governmental friendly contacts between the two countries. 

Since the inception of diplomatic relations, the two countries have made steady progress in promoting the exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, language, and other fields. In the 1980s, the cultural exchanges and cooperation were further increased, with multiple institutional arrangements gradually improved. During President d'Estaing’s visit to China in 1980, the two countries signed the agreement on cultural exchange programs and broadcasting cooperation. In 1983, President Mitterrand visited China and emphasized in particular that the two countries “should not neglect the development of cultural relations” while conducting cooperation in other fields and, during the visit, the two sides signed a protocol on broadcasting and TV cooperation. 

Since the end of the 1990s, the cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and France have been further expanded, with the rise of “Chinese Culture Fever” in France at the turn of the century. The China Culture Week in Paris in 1999 and the China Culture Season spanning from the end of 2000 to early 2001 gave the French people first-hand experience of the long-standing and brilliant Chinese culture. 

With the advent of the 21st century, China-France cultural exchanges saw even stronger growth. The two countries not only took the lead in establishing a cultural center in each other’s country but also ran the “China-France Culture Year” from 2003 to 2005, the two-year grand cultural program being a creative initiative of exchanges and mutual learning between the Chinese and French civilizations and also a milestone in the history of the bilateral relationship, thus serving as a role model for different nations in the world to engage in inter-civilization dialogue. 

At present, large-scale cultural exchange activities between the two countries have become normality. With the inception of the China-France high-level cultural exchange mechanism in 2014, a further boost was given to the practical bilateral cooperation in a multitude of areas, such as education, science and technology, culture, health, sports, media, tourism, youth, women and sub-national exchanges, enabling the inter-culture exchange and mutual learning between China and France to go deeper and deeper. Similarly, the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism in 2024 will also be a further step in deepening the cultural exchanges and people-to-people connections between the two sides. The 60-year journey of China-France relations has shown that people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation always has an irreplaceable role to play and serves as an important pillar for the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership. 

It is noteworthy that the extraordinary 60-year journey of China-France ties is not free from storms. It has suffered from two setbacks. The first was the strain caused by the French government’s interference in China’s internal affairs through arms sales to Taiwan at the end of the 1980s and the start of the 1990s. The second was the disturbance caused by then French President Sarkozy’s meeting with Dalai. Fortunately, however, the two storms passed soon and the bilateral relationship was brought back to the normal track again and has since come a long way. This is also an exact example of the “China-France spirit”, which serves as a guide to the two countries in staying realistic and pragmatic and working for win-win cooperation. 

Through six decades of development, China-France relations have become a role model of friendly cooperation between countries with different historical background, cultural traditions and development levels and have only grown increasingly stronger, exemplary and strategic. Going forward, how to further deepen the China-France relationship to make it progress steadily is what all sides expect much from. 

As stated by President Xi Jinping, in today’s world, the “China-France spirit” is all the more valuable and faced with the changing international situation in the new era, China and France shall keep their original aspiration for friendship in mind upon the establishment of diplomatic relations, embrace the future proactively and be bold to achieve more. Today, as profound changes have taken place in both the external world and the national realities within the two countries, how to develop China-France relations under the new circumstances poses a crucial question. 

 

China-France ties have been continuously upgraded and deepened in the past 60 years and the key lies in the consolidated political mutual trust, which serves as the precondition and basis for mutual understanding and win-win cooperation between the two sides. In the context of changes unseen in a century, how to strengthen political dialogue and promote political mutual trust is a centerpiece in the future development of China-France relations.

The three pillars of China-France ties, i.e., the Strategic Dialogue, the High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue and the High-Level Dialogue on People-to-people exchanges, have provided important backing for the expanded and deepened relations between the two countries. In the future, the two sides shall continue to deepen political mutual trust on the basis of the Strategic Dialogue, solidify political mutual trust on the basis of all-dimensional economic and sci-tech cooperation and expand political mutual trust on the basis of even deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning between the two cultures. Only by deepening political mutual trust can China and France have stronger and stronger will to cooperate, move in the same direction and identify cooperation opportunities, expand cooperation areas and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results in the process of seeking common ground while shelving differences. At the same time, on the international stage, the two countries shall continue to stand for independence and work together to uphold true multilateralism and the rules-based international governance system. 

Deepening political mutual trust will help make China-France relations more strategically stable and forward-looking and the strategic stability of China-France ties is good for global security and stability. As Foreign Minister Wang Yi indicated during his talk with Minister Séjourné for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France in Beijing, “China and France are both major countries with an independent spirit, the historical wealth of the friendship between the two countries is worth cherishing and their shared responsibility and mission is upon them”. China and France shall strengthen communication and coordination, deepen exchanges and cooperation, make the relationship more strategically stable and forward-looking and play a leading role in international solidarity, innovative development, openness for win-win outcomes and civilization dialogue.

Practical cooperation is always integral to the progress of China-France ties throughout each and every stage of development and is also reflected extensively in the interactions in numerous fields, like political affairs, foreign affairs, economy, science and technology, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and global governance. Mutual benefit, win-win cooperation and support for each other’s success set the stage for bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various areas. Going forward, the two countries shall carry on the “China-France spirit”, continue to deepen practical cooperation in various fields, keep the right direction of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership that should be stable, mutually beneficial, pioneering and positive, create continuous new progress in win-win cooperation and provide a role model for all countries to carry out exchanges and cooperation. 

In the field of economy and trade, China and France shall continuously adjust and optimize the structure of bilateral economic cooperation and trade contacts under the framework of the Strategic Dialogue. It is necessary to deepen practical cooperation in traditional industrial and services sectors and promote bilateral trade and two-way investment and, no less importantly, explore new scope of cooperation, especially in the fields of climate change, green transition and digital economy. The two countries shall also work hard to provide a favorable environment for cooperation between Chinese and French enterprises and, in particular, improve the business environment and market access for the enterprises of the other country and promote connectivity. At the same time, the two countries shall jointly advocate improving the global economic governance, work for a more open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory system of economic globalization and uphold the rules-based, WTO-centered multilateral trading regime. In the field of science and technology, the two countries shall jointly encourage and strengthen collaboration for breakthroughs in key technologies, work for innovative development, open cooperation, and common progress and win-win results in the field of emerging technologies, advocate and practice the concept of open, fair, just and non-discriminatory international cooperation in science and technology, adhere to the principle that “science has no borders and benefits all mankind”, and join hands to build a global community of science and technology. 

As representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France have a long-standing history of exchanges and mutual learning between their cultures. Moreover, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts have been very strong, which provides a continuous boost to the resilience of the bilateral relationship. The past and current interactions between the Chinese and French cultures have testified that different cultures are able to learn from each other, different systems are able to accommodate each other and peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom are the common values of all mankind. The two countries shall continue to expand and deepen the exchanges and mutual learning between the two cultures, remove the ideological obstacles between the two sides and further strengthen the heart-to-heart connection between the two peoples in order to lay a cultural and public foundation for the bilateral cooperation in other fields. 

In the future, China and France may well continue to promote cooperation in cultural and creative industries, and, in particular, literature, film, publishing, music, architecture and digitization, increase the potential of communication targeted at the broadest audience possible and guide the people of the two countries to know each other’s cultural creations and developments. At the same time, it is also important to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cultural heritage protection, restoration and development, deepen language teaching cooperation, increase cooperation in higher learning and vocational education, and especially actively facilitate exchanges between researchers in various disciplines, advance cooperation in priority areas and conduct joint research activities. 

As responsible major countries, China and France shall continue to act globally to jointly advocate respect for diversity of world civilizations, stand for equality, mutual learning, dialogue and accommodation among civilizations, promote the common values of all mankind and appreciate with an open mind how different civilizations perceive the essence of values. It is desirable for the two countries to advocate and value the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, enable the fine traditional cultures of all countries to realize creative transfer and innovative development in the process of modernization, strengthen international cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and increase the mutual understanding and bond between all peoples in a joint effort to advance the progress of human civilization. 

The extraordinary journey of the past sixty years gives full testimony to the fact that the significance of China-France relations has gone far beyond the bilateral scope and the relationship carries great impacts on world peace and development. China and France shall continue to be pioneers, act in the fundamental interests and long-term interests of the two countries, stay unwavering in growing the bilateral ties and uphold the stability of China-France relations as a way to respond to the global uncertainties. Going forward, the expansion, deepening and stable growth of China-France ties will be immeasurably exemplary for the exchanges and cooperation among all countries in the world. 

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Zhang jinling is Researcher of the Institute of European Studies, Secretary General of the Research Center for Marxism and European Civilization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.