French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed the war in Ukraine and trade imbalances in Beijing today, Agence France-Presse reported.
"We must continue to make efforts for peace and stability in the world. From Ukraine to different regions of the world that are engulfed in war, it is key that we can work together", Macron said.
The Elysee Palace said that France has consistently called on China to use its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Agence France-Presse recalls that during his last visit to China in 2023, Emmanuel Macron called on Xi to "come to his senses" Russia.
"Sometimes we have disagreements, but we are responsible enough to overcome them, find mechanisms for cooperation and resolve disputes", the French leader also said.
Xi Jinping assured that China intends to cooperate with France to ensure greater stability in the strategic partnership between the two countries.
China and France should seize opportunities and expand their cooperation, Xi said at his meeting with Macron in Beijing, China's Xinhua News Agency reported.
China and France should strengthen cooperation in traditional fields such as aviation, aeronautics and nuclear energy, and seize the potential for cooperation in fields such as the green economy, the digital economy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence and new types of energy, Xi said.
Xi and Macron jointly attended a signing ceremony for multiple cooperation agreements in the fields of nuclear energy, agriculture, food industry, education and environment, after their talks in Beijing today.
The two leaders also attended the closing ceremony of the seventh meeting of the China-France Business Council in Beijing.
Xi Jinping noted that the two countries should respond to the lack of security in the modern world by countering it with the stability of their relations with each other. Xi called on China and France to continuously expand new areas of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, continue to promote the progress of China-EU mutually beneficial relations, and jointly contribute to the reform and improvement of global governance. Macron called for mutual investment to balance trade relations. The French president arrived in China yesterday evening, accompanied by 35 heads of large and small companies from various sectors of the economy. This is Macron's fourth visit to China since his election as president in 2017. Xi Jinping visited France last year.