Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Beijing on Thursday, December 4, 2025, during Macron’s fourth state visit to China, agreeing to significantly enhance bilateral cooperation across economic, cultural, and geopolitical spheres while jointly pledging to advance the reform and improvement of global governance. The high-level talks in the Great Hall of the People saw both leaders reaffirming the strategic importance of the relationship, which has seen frequent high-level exchanges, including Xi’s state visit to France earlier this year marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
During the extensive discussions, both presidents called for expanding political mutual trust and practical collaboration. Xi underlined the necessity for both nations, as major global powers, to maintain strategic independence and support each other on issues concerning core interests, thereby anchoring the political foundation of their relationship against a volatile global backdrop.
Economic Resilience Drives Broadened Cooperation
The economic relationship between China and France demonstrated notable resilience, with bilateral trade reaching $68.75 billion in the first ten months of 2025 and cumulative mutual investment surpassing $27 billion. Building on this momentum, the leaders committed to expanding cooperation beyond traditional sectors like aviation, aerospace, and nuclear energy. New areas of focus include the green economy, digital economy, biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and new energy, reflecting shifts in global economic priorities.
Xi expressed China’s readiness to import more high-quality French products and welcomed further French investment. In a reciprocal call for fairness, he urged France to provide a stable and equitable operating environment for Chinese enterprises. Macron echoed this sentiment, confirming France’s commitment to offering a non-discriminatory business environment and welcoming increased Chinese investment, while noting the dynamism of the Chinese economy as a source of global opportunity. Following their meeting, the two heads of state oversaw the signing of several cooperation documents spanning nuclear energy, agri-food, education, and ecological environmental protection.
Beyond economics, both countries agreed to deepen people-to-people exchanges, launching a new wave of collaboration in culture, education, science, technology, and at the sub-national level, including a renewed joint effort for giant panda protection.
Upholding Multilateralism and Addressing Global Crises
A significant portion of the talks focused on global issues, where both leaders agreed to intensify strategic communication to secure a more just and equitable global governance system. This involves defending the international system centered on the United Nations and adhering to international law.
Acknowledging increasing global geopolitical instability, Macron stressed the indispensable nature of France-China cooperation. He fully aligned with Xi’s view on reforming and improving global governance, advocating for strengthened coordination to uphold multilateralism and address shared challenges such as climate response, biodiversity conservation, and the regulation of AI. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, enhanced dialogue between Beijing and Paris is seen by experts, such as Feng Zhongping of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as critical for bolstering global stability.
Regarding specific crises, Xi reaffirmed China’s support for all efforts leading to peace in the Ukraine conflict, urging dialogue that could lead to a “fair, lasting, and binding peace deal.” Furthermore, in response to the ongoing humanitarian situation in the Middle East, Xi announced China would provide $100 million in aid to Palestine to alleviate the crisis in Gaza and support recovery efforts, while advocating for a full and just resolution to the Palestinian question.
The frequent, high-level interaction serves as a critical maintenance mechanism for international diplomacy. As Sinologist Sonia Bressler noted, cooperation must be patiently nurtured, and such visits carry “not only agreements, but possibilities” for expanding dialogue between China and the European Union.