France, the guest of honor at the 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), opened its pavilion at the fair on Thursday, the first day of the event in Beijing.
French ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary and vice-mayor of Beijing Sima Hong attended the launching ceremony and delivered speeches.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China in April last year, the leaders of both countries announced that France would be the guest of honor at the 2024 CIFTIS. This is the first time France has set up a pavilion at CIFTIS.
The French pavilion features 10 companies, including L'Oreal and Schneider Electric, showcasing high-quality collaborations with China in areas such as event management, cultural and tourism services, green economy, medical and health services, insurance, and legal services.
Themed "Global Services, Shared Prosperity", the 2024 CIFTIS has attracted attendees from 85 countries and international organizations.
The fair, which will run until Sept 16, is showcasing an assortment of sophisticated technologies and applications and staging a diverse range of activities, including summits, exhibitions, business talks and promotions.
French pavilion launched at Int'l services trade fair in Beijing
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his country has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthi group.
The president made the remarks at a press conference in Tehran, in response to a question from an Al Jazeera news network reporter who quoted political experts saying that Iran has supplied hypersonic missiles, or the technology to develop them, to the Houthis.
Iran has hypersonic missiles, but not of the same kind that the Houthis possess, Pezeshkian said, adding that the Houthis themselves had developed the missiles over time.
It is impossible for Iran to send missiles to Yemen covertly when it takes more than a week just to send solely human forces to the country, he said.
Pezeshkian said that Iran and the Houthis have worked together against Israel's "genocide" in Gaza, and stressed that the international community should condemn the crimes against humanity committed by Israel.
"If [the Western] countries are worried about the security of Israel, why are they not concerned about the security of Gaza Strip, the security of Palestine and innocent people? Civilized countries and supporters of human rights should not allow power to bomb and kill innocent civilians while simultaneously accusing Iran of supplying missiles to Yemen's Houthis," said Pezeshkian.
On Iran-U.S. relations, Pezeshkian emphasized Iran's pursuit of peace over conflict and clarified that Iran has no intentions of building nuclear weapons.
However, he said, the U.S. has chosen to abandon the Iran nuclear deal and made threats against Iran. The possibility of a relaxation in strained relations between the two sides hinges on the U.S. dropping its animosity towards Iran and revoking its extensive sanctions against the country, he said.
"We don't want to start a war, but the U.S. wants to impose wars on us. If the U.S. is willing to respect Iran's rights, we will not engage in conflict with the U.S. or any other party. We hope to develop safely in our own country without the U.S. undermining Iran's security or threaten and humiliate Iran. we will never accept humiliation," Pezeshkian said.
Iran has not sent hypersonic missiles to Yemen's Houthis: President Pezeshkian
