BEIJING, June 23 (TMTPost)— China’s Premier Li Qiang expressed intention to expand cooperation into emerging industries and sectors during his meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Source: Xinhua News Agency

China, France, and Europe, with their own strengths, need to further strengthen cooperation, and can not only deepen the existing cooperation in traditional fields like nuclear energy and aerospace, but also tap the potential for cooperation in emerging fields such as environmental protection, digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced manufacturing, so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Li told Macron. Beijing encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in France, and French companies are welcome to share China's development opportunities, Li stated.  

Li said his visit aims to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in April and have in-depth discussions with the French side on strengthening China-France cooperation. Macron expressed France’s willingness to deepen cooperation with China in such fields as aviation and space, nuclear energy, agriculture and food. He welcomed Chinese companies to invest in France and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as green and environmental protection and new energy.

Li Qiang is scheduled to visit Germany and France from June 18 to 23, his first overseas trip since he took office in March. Upon his arrival in the first stop Germany, Li said China is ready to work with Berlin to further tap the potential for cooperation, properly handle disagreements and differences, enrich the all-round strategic partnership, and send a positive and strong signal for keeping the international industrial and supply chains stable. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Li that Germany rejects all forms of decoupling and "de-risking" is not "de-sinicization."

China and Germany enjoy broad space and great potential for cooperation in such fields as digital economy, AI and green development, Li told representatives of German business community at a round table. "Failure to cooperate is the biggest risk, and failure to develop is the biggest insecurity," Li warned at a seminar with German business leaders. The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in a volatile world and made a joint call against any form of decoupling, Xinhua News Agency reported after Li wrapped up a four-day trip to Germany.