Extending an olive branch to France after French President Emmanuel Macron signed defence deals with India, Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered to “break new ground” to give a fillip to the Beijing-Paris ties.
During French President Emmanuel Macron’s high-profile visit to India, the two countries unveiled an ambitious defence roadmap besides intensifying cooperation in the strategic Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region.
His visit to India also coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. In his message on the occasion, Chinese President said, “As today’s world is once again at a critical crossroads, China and France should jointly open up a path of peace, security, prosperity and progress for human development.”
Xi emphasized China’s significant commitment to the advancement of bilateral relations, expressing his readiness to collaborate with Macron. He proposed leveraging the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties as a pivotal moment to uphold fundamental principles, forge new paths, build upon past successes, embark on a fresh future, and fortify the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.
“We will continue to unleash consumer and investment market demand, continue to expand the import of high-quality products and services from France”, he said and hoped that France too will provide Chinese companies with a fair, just and predictable business environment.
Beijing is prioritising ties with France as Macron is pushing Europe to become a third bloc, a balancing force between the US and China.
The Chinese official media has hailed the ties between China and France calling for stepping up cooperation in high-tech areas.
“Scientific and technological cooperation between France and China has been a cornerstone of their relationship. From aerospace and the nuclear industry to renewable energy, the two countries have made significant strides in joint research and development”, state-run China Daily said in its editorial.
President Macron was the sixth leader from France to be the chief guest at India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26.
Beijing closely monitored Macron’s visit to India, as Paris is becoming a crucial defence partner for New Delhi the US and European Union engage with India as a strategic partner, to counter China’s influence. Following discussions between Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two nations revealed an ambitious defense industrial roadmap. This roadmap entails collaborative efforts in developing essential military hardware and strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region-a region that holds strategic significance and is a key focus for China.
“Defence and security partnership has been the cornerstone of India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes a comprehensive range of bilateral, multinational, regional and institutional initiatives, especially in the Indian Ocean Region”, the joint statement issued by the two countries said.
“They also agreed to intensify their cooperation in the Southwest Indian Ocean, building on the joint surveillance missions carried out from the French island territory of La Reunion in 2020 and 2022”, it said.
The India and France cooperation in the Indian Ocean concerns China which is trying to make forays in India’s backyard.
The article originally appeared on oneindia.