From November 4 to 7, 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao upon invitation paid state visits to France and Portugal. Upon the conclusion of the visits, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who was accompanying President Hu on the trip, introduced to the accompanying reporters the achievements of President Hu’s visits.
Yang said the trip was another major diplomatic activity in Europe by a Chinese leader. The visits were made against the background that the international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, China-EU relations face new opportunities and challenges and China-France, China-Portugal ties are at a critical stage of development. During the tight-scheduled four-day trip, President Hu attended nearly 30 important activities. Hu met with leaders of the two countries, exchanging in-depth views and reaching broad consensus on keeping close high-level exchanges, building up political trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation, consolidating China-EU relations and enhancing coordination in global and international issues. President Hu also engaged broadly with people from all walks of life of the two countries, visited economic and trade projects and met with representatives of overseas Chinese and students. President Hu, before paying his state visits to France and Portugal, received the written interview of French newspaper Le Figaro and Portuguese news agency Lusa on China-France relations, China-Portugal relations, China-EU relations, the G20 Summit in Seoul, China’s development road and direction and the construction of international order in the 21st century. People of the host countries warmly welcomed President Hu’s visit. Both the media of host countries and the rest of the world paid close attention to and made positive comments on President Hu's visits. Yang said the visits have deepened the Sino-French and Sino-Portuguese strategic mutual trust, boosted China's exchanges and cooperation with the two countries in various fields, promoted their communication and coordination on international affairs and increased the host countries' understanding and recognition of China's development path. He said the tour yielded rich fruits in the following six aspects.
I. Boosting the Sino-French Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Which Is Based on Mutual Trust and Mutual Benefit, Is Mature and Stable, and Is Global-oriented
Yang said China and France have continuously deepened their dialogue and political mutual trust, and expanded cooperation in various fields since they forged diplomatic ties 46 years ago. This year is pivotal to China-France relations. Both heads of state and parliament speakers of the two countries reciprocated visits for the first time, showing both sides attach great importance to bilateral relations. President Hu paid a state visit to France last time 6 years ago. During his current visit, President Hu held talks with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy twice, and also met Prime Minister Francois Fillon, Senate leader Gerard Larcher, National Assembly Speaker Bernard Accoyer, and former President Jacques Chirac, reaching important consensus on boosting China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.Hu hailed the achievements of the efforts to develop the China-France ties, and made a four-point proposal on bilateral ties, including respecting each other and strengthening strategic mutual trust; advancing with the times and being creative in pragmatic cooperation; promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges by giving full play to each other's advantages; and enhancing coordination and working together to deal with challenges. Hu emphasized that China is ready to work with France to maintain and carry forward the strategic and global nature of the China-France relationship and its ability to move with the times, open up new prospects for bilateral friendly cooperation, push for the establishment of a new type of relations between big nations featuring equal cooperation and turn the 21st century into one of true peace, development and cooperation.
The French side attached great importance to Hu’s visit and accorded him the highest courtesy. President Sarkozy and his wife greeted Hu and his wife at the airport. The French president also went in person to Nice to hold talks with President Hu once again. The two leaders had a broad and in-depth exchange of views on many issues of common concern. President Sarkozy fully agreed with President Hu's propositions on furthering bilateral ties. He said Hu’s visit to France shows the friendship and trust between the two countries, and reflects the unique vitality, richness and maturity of bilateral ties. Both countries' comprehensive strategic partnership has provided a model for today's world and should be injected with new vitality, and the two sides should explore more development prospects, Sarkozy added. He emphasized China should not be regarded as a threat, but an opportunity. France is ready to establish win-win cooperative partnership with China.
The two countries also issued a joint statement, which showed their positive will to develop bilateral ties and their important consensus on the international situation, relations between big countries, and global governance.
II. Pushing the China-Portugal Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a New Level
China and Portugal have made great progress in their exchanges and cooperation in various fields since they established diplomatic ties 31 years ago, especially after they forged a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2005. The smooth settlement of the Macao issue has set an example for other nations to tackle issues left over from history through friendly consultations. During his visit, President Hu held talks with his Portuguese counterpart Anibal Cavaco Silva and met Prime Minister Jose Socrates and Parliament Speaker Jaime Gama, reaching important consensus on boosting the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Hu reviewed the development of bilateral relations over the past 31 years, emphasizing that the two sides should treat their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective and stick firmly to the right direction for its further advancement. Both countries should also understand and support each other's major concerns and enhance mutual political trust, while further expanding practical cooperation in various fields on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win progress to consolidate the foundation of their relations, he added. Hu made a four-point proposal on bilateral relations, including strengthening mutual political trust and strategic cooperation; exploring new fields for economic and trade cooperation and deepening pragmatic cooperation; expanding people-to-people and cultural exchanges and boosting friendship between the two peoples; and cementing cooperation on international affairs and jointly contributing to the construction of a harmonious world. Hu pledged China is ready to work with Portugal to promote friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation and push China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.
Echoing Hu’s important proposals on furthering bilateral ties, President Silva said Hu's state visit to Portugal is of epoch-making significance in that it will surely play an important role in pushing forward bilateral cooperation in all areas and write a new chapter for Portugal-China relations. Portugal is ready to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership with China.
III. Deepening and Expanding Sino-French and Sino-Portuguese Pragmatic Cooperation in All Fields
Yang said in recent years, China-France and China-Portugal relations have made substantial progress in the areas of trade, investment, science, technology and humanities exchanges. Hu paid the visits with an eye on boosting bilateral pragmatic cooperation and bringing forward a series of new concrete measures for that purpose.
During Hu's visit to France, China and France signed multiple cooperation agreements on trade and economy, energy, aviation, finance, telecommunications and environmental protection. The two sides agreed to raise bilateral trade volume from this year's expected 40 billion U.S. dollars to 80 billion dollars in 2015, provide a more convenient and attractive investment environment for investors from the other country, and boost cooperation in nuclear power and aviation, and further tap cooperation potential in such fields as energy-saving, environmental protection, new energy, new materials, electric cars, information and telecommunications, high-end equipment manufacturing and finance. Both sides should build new pillars of cooperation, promote upgrading and transformation of economic and trade relations and consolidate the economic basis of bilateral ties, Hu said. The two sides should continue to encourage cultural institutions to take part in each other's cultural activities, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in film making and journalism, increase the number of students studying in each other's countries, develop partnerships between the two countries' institutions of higher learning and schools, promote each other's languages, and strengthen exchanges among youths to bring new life into exchanges among young people between China and Europe.
During Hu's visit to Portugal, China and Portugal signed bilateral cooperation agreements on trade and economy, telecommunications, electric power and culture. The two sides also agreed to makes efforts to double bilateral trade by 2015, discuss ways to carry out cooperation between China and other Portuguese-speaking countries, and upgrade the trade and economic cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries through the trade and economic forum between China and these countries. Both sides vowed to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges to enhance the bilateral friendship. Both sides should carry out cultural exchange activities in various forms and do a good job in the implementation of cultural exchange implementation plans. Both sides should also promote the teaching of Portuguese in Chinese universities and the building of Confucius Institute and strive to conduct youth exchanges. Both sides agreed to strengthen friendly exchanges between research institutions, think tanks and media, expand regional and people-to-people contacts and enrich connotations of bilateral ties so as to bring China-Portugal friendship closer to the publics of the two countries.
IV. Injecting New Impetus into China-EU Relations
Yang said China attaches great importance to developing China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. France and Portugal, both important nations of the EU, have made great contributions to the development of China-EU relations over the years. With the deepening of the EU's institutional reform, China-EU relations will enter a new stage. During his visit, President Hu spoke highly of France's and Portugal's contributions to the development of the China-EU ties. Hu pointed out that the China-EU relationship has transcended the boundary of bilateral relations and is gaining growing significance under the current international circumstances. He stressed that in the new century, the China-EU ties should be characterized by mutual respect, mutual trust and equal treatment, mutual benefit, win-win progress, common development and the joint efforts to build a more just and fairer new international political and economic order, and promote world harmony and advance the progress of human civilization. Hu also said that China is ready to make joint efforts with the European Union to enhance their strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation, properly handle and resolve each other’s major concerns and relevant differences and enrich the connotations of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership so as to bring their relationship up to a higher level.
The French side noted that France has always been supportive on the lift of the European Union's arms embargo on China. France supported all-round cooperation between the EU and China and was ready to work with China to explore new channels of developing EU-China relations. The Portuguese side noted that Portugal is ready to exert positive influence within the EU and continue to play an important role in pushing forward EU-China ties.
V. Enhancing Communication and Coordination on Major International Issues
Yang said President Hu’s visits were made against a special international background. Currently, the international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. The reform of the international system has been accelerating and the prospects of a multi-polar world become clearer. Economic globalization makes state-to-state ties much closer and their interests more closely interconnected. The world economy is slowly recovering, but the fundamentals are not strong and global issues are becoming more prominent. As the G20 summit in Seoul will be held soon, all parties are paying close attention to China’s positions and propositions. During his Europe tour, Hu also discussed with his hosts the world economy, the international financial situation, G20 cooperation and other international issues of common concern.
Hu introduced China’s views and proposals on the goal of the G20 summit in Seoul, long-term development of G20 as well as the reform of the international financial and monetary systems. Hu stressed that the international community should think over the source of the international financial crisis and draw lessons from it to prevent any repetition of similar crises. The international monetary system reform should be carried out step by step after concerned parties deeply think about and scientifically analyze the situation, coordinate their understanding and reach consensus, he added. China supports France to successfully hold the next G20 summit and is ready to maintain close communication and coordination with France and enhance cooperation within the G20 framework. All the parties should strengthen coordination on their macro-policies on the basis of unity, mutual benefit and win-win progress, sending a clear message to the market that they are united against serious global economic challenges, Hu said. In this way, they will be able to rally market confidence and maintain the momentum of the recovery of the world economy, he added. Efforts should be made to achieve the share transfer in the IMF. Meanwhile, the parties need to promote the reform of the international monetary system, improve related supervision and regulation, and expand the say and representation of emerging economies and developing countries in international financial institutions, Hu said. Concerted efforts should also be taken to narrow the gap between the North and the South, curb all forms of protectionism and secure a comprehensive and balanced outcome of the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, he added.
The French side noted France, which will soon hold the rotating presidency of the Group of 20, will take its own responsibilities and cooperate closely with China. The French side expressed the hope that all parties will make joint efforts to push forward the reform of the international monetary system, and try to reach consensus on the issue at an early date. The French side indicated that its stances on global governance and reform of the international monetary system accord with those of China, and that as the G20's rotating president next year, it is willing to cooperate with China to address such issues as development imbalances, global economic governance and international financial regulation. Portugal lauded China's active contributions to fighting the international financial crisis and boosting the world economic recovery, and hoped that China would play a bigger role in advancing the reform of the international monetary system.
VI. Boosting Understanding and Recognition of China's Development Path
Yang said, while currently the international community in general recognizes China’s peaceful development, some people have doubts over China’s development. During his visits, the Chinese president expounded the current situation and the prospects of China's development, saying China's development is an important part of development of human society and it poses an opportunity for France, Portugal and Europe as a whole. China will unswervingly stick to the path of peaceful development, adhere to the opening-up strategy on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win progress, continue the friendly cooperation with all countries in the world and make joint efforts with them to build a harmonious world marked by lasting peace and common prosperity. This is a strategic choice made by the Chinese government and people, which is based on China’s realities and is in conformity with the trend of the times. Such a choice also reflects the unity of China's domestic and foreign policies. China, through its own development, makes even greater contributions to world peace and development. China is ready to enhance exchanges, expand cooperation and seek common development with all other countries in the world, and push all nations to share development opportunities and jointly meet various challenges.
The French side noted China's development is the fastest and the greatest in human history and is important to both China and the world at large. France is particularly glad to see China's achievements in its reform and opening-up drive over the past 30 years plus, which is an unprecedented development process in world history. China is a populous country with ancient culture and a long history of civilization. The Chinese culture is a culture of peace and the Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation. China's development is peaceful, is conducive to world peace and should not generate worries. The French side also said that through its peaceful development, China has gained significant influence and is playing an indispensable role on the world stage. The Portuguese side also acclaimed China's efforts to promote world peace and development and its important role in regional and global affairs, and expected China to make more contributions in the future.
Foreign Minister Yang concluded that President Hu's Europe tour has achieved its goal to promote a forward-looking attitude, broaden consensus, expand cooperation and seek common development, and will surely have a far-reaching influence on the further development of China's relations with European countries and on the construction of a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.