Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday, calling for closer communication and cooperation between the two countries.
Li said China-France relations have maintained a stable and sound momentum in recent years.
Noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron reached a series of important consensus on deepening bilateral relations and cooperation last year when the two countries marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relationship, Li said that China and France, both independent, mature and responsible major countries, should strengthen communication and coordination to inject more stability and certainty into the shared development of both nations and the world amid the current international landscape.
Li expressed China's willingness to work with France to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, maintain close high-level exchanges, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, so as to bring greater benefits to the people of the two countries and the world.
For his part, Barrot said France is willing to further strengthen high-level exchanges with China, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly uphold multilateralism and tackle global challenges such as climate change.
France opposes trade war and supports the European Union and China in enhancing dialogue and cooperation while exploring more positive agendas, he added.
Barrot is on a visit to China from March 27 to 28, at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Premier Li meets French FM
Premier Li meets French FM
The World Expo 2025, which opened in Osaka, Japan on Sunday, is expected to boost local industrial transformation and economic growth.
It is the second time for Osaka, one of Japan's major cities well-developed in industry and commerce, to host the global event after the Expo 1970.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Osaka has experienced a recession in development as Japan's economic center accelerated its concentration in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with the Osaka Securities Exchange acquired by the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The Expo 2025 Osaka, which is set to last for six months till Oct 13, has been regarded as an important opportunity for Osaka to strengthen its infrastructure and revitalize its economy by boosting tourism.
"The economic benefits of the Expo are estimated to reach 2.9 trillion yen (around 20.20 billion U.S. dollars), and tourist flow will drive consumption in accommodation, catering, transportation, shopping and other fields," said Hideki Sho, director general of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Osaka.
Taking advantage of hosting the Expo, Osaka Prefecture has raised its goal this year of attracting foreign tourists to 16 million, an increase of more than six percent.
"Many tourists come to Osaka, and it’s expected to increase our sales. Welcome here, everyone!" said a restaurant manager.
"Osaka has many interesting specialties. I hope tourists can come to see them," said a souvenir shop manager.
Osaka has decided to build a comprehensive complex with shopping, entertainment, hotel, exhibition and convention facilities based on the expo park following the event. It is expected to attract 20 million tourist trips from home and abroad every year. The up-front investment in the project will approach 1.3 trillion yen.
In addition to tourism, Osaka Prefecture and the city of Osaka also hope to attract more foreign institutions, particularly financial firms. A series of favorable policies, including targeted tax incentives, have been introduced to help Osaka attract 30 international financial institutions by the end of March next year.
Expo 2025 Osaka expected to boost local economy
