On February 25th, Qin Gang, vice minister of Foreign Affairs, met with French Ambassador to China Laurent Bili upon invitation.
Laurent Bili, on behalf of the French side, extended condolence to Chinese government and people in the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), and gave recognition to the substantial achievements that the Chinese side has made in the prevention and control of the contagion. He said that the French government will continue to support China. Meanwhile, the contagion in China concerned French people as well. A giant slogan, “Stay Strong, China”, was staged during the game of Paris Saint-Germain. More than 300 notable personages from French literary and artistic sphere delivered a joint message to support Chinese people. All of these have showcased the deep friendship between two peoples.
Qin Gang expressed that the two phone calls between President Xi Jinping and President Macron in this year proved a high-level China-France relation. The Chinese side appreciated France’s support, believing that it will help deepen friendship between two sides. He also briefed on the latest achievements in the prevention and control of the contagion and stressed that the Chinese people have full confidence and ability to win the battle against the NCP with concerted efforts. .
Both sides also exchanged views on high-level exchanges and cooperation between China and France this year. They have agreed to continue to keep close communication and coordination to implement consensus reached by two leaders and carry out practical cooperation in various fields, thus promoting China-French relations to high-level development.