introduction

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a core power of the European Union, France maintains relative independence from the United States among Western powers. Against the backdrop of the China US game, the Ukraine crisis, and the debate on European policies towards China, Sino French relations hold a special position in China's diplomacy. Strengthening Sino French relations has strategic significance for China and is also important for creating an external environment for development. France was the first Western power to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the "China France Cultural Tourism Year". Under the guidance of the two heads of state, cooperation and cultural exchanges between China and France have been continuously strengthened, and coordination has been maintained in multilateral occasions. The French political and economic leaders actively develop relations with China, and the Sino French relationship maintains stability in the international arena, playing a leading and exemplary role. However, France is facing external shocks such as the pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, and the energy crisis, while internal reforms are constrained by opposition forces. The Macron government's policy towards China has shown signs of duality, and Sino French cooperation is facing an uncertain trend of both competition and cooperation.

1、 Current French policy stance towards China

Since President Macron took office in 2017, France's policy towards China has adhered to independence, self-reliance, and great power balance, aiming to play a special role beyond national strength, safeguard national interests, and respond to great power competition. France regards its relationship with China as the key to balancing diplomacy and enhancing international influence, especially in resolving international hot topics and global governance reforms, and maintains close cooperation with China. China and France jointly promote the resolution of regional and international issues such as the Middle East, Africa, the Korean Peninsula, and nuclear non-proliferation within the framework of the United Nations, and have issued joint statements on the Iran nuclear issue and the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The two countries also jointly uphold multilateralism, issue joint statements, strengthen political dialogue, protect the earth, promote connectivity, and reach cooperation in biodiversity conservation, climate change, artificial intelligence, and global governance.

2、 The main factors, trends, and impacts of France's policy adjustment towards China

France's policy towards China is significantly influenced by the domestic political atmosphere and international environment. The polarization of domestic politics and the fragmentation of political parties have led to the hype of China related issues by extremist parties, such as Le Pen accusing Macron of "yielding" to China policy and proposing the establishment of an "equal relationship". In the 2024 European Parliament elections, the far right forces have strengthened, with the National Union receiving more than twice as many votes as the Renaissance Party, indicating that Macron's control over domestic politics is limited and affecting the space for cooperation with China. The changes in the international environment, especially the breakdown of EU Russia relations and the game between China and the United States, have led to adjustments in France's policy towards China. The Ukrainian crisis has led to ideological divisions in European countries' foreign relations, narrowing France's space for action on the issue of China. The United States has increased its efforts to woo France, weakening the strategic differences between France and the United States, which has affected the development of Macron's relations with China. France's policy towards China has both strategic considerations and strategic calculations, and will continue to balance diplomacy and strive to be the "third force" in the great power game. France needs to cooperate with China in areas such as economic recovery and global governance, but the domestic and foreign affairs dilemma has brought uncertainty to Sino French relations. Macron may use Chinese factors to ease domestic pressure and influence the political atmosphere of Sino French relations. France's foreign policy will always prioritize European issues and not prioritize factors related to China. The United States may take advantage of France's characteristics to increase its enticement towards France and influence France's policy considerations towards China.

3、 Analysis of the Current Situation of Practical Cooperation between China and France

The pragmatic cooperation between China and France has shown the characteristics of competition and cooperation rising synchronously in an uncertain trend, with a solid foundation, diverse levels, and a wide range of fields, and has achieved significant achievements in the past 60 years. In 1964, France was the first to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. The China France relationship is based on high-level political mutual trust, with rich exchange mechanisms, frequent visits between heads of state, and mechanisms such as strategic dialogue, economic and financial dialogue, and cultural exchange dialogue to promote deepening cooperation. In terms of cooperation in high-tech projects, France is unique in its industrial, military, and technological systems, and is one of the earliest Western countries to invest in and establish joint ventures with China, especially in nuclear power and technological cooperation, where significant achievements have been made. In terms of monetary and financial cooperation, the central banks of the two countries have conducted technical consultations on cross-border payments and the use of digital currencies. China UnionPay cards are widely used in France, and financial institutions from both sides have frequent cooperation in markets such as stocks and bonds. In terms of agricultural cooperation, China and France have maintained steady development since the establishment of diplomatic relations. Both sides have achieved rich results in priority cooperation projects in the agricultural field, and the agricultural trade volume will increase by nearly 70% in 2022. In terms of global governance, China and France jointly defend multilateralism, maintain the international system and order, and deepen cooperation on climate change and biodiversity conservation. The bilateral trade volume between China and France has increased by more than 800 times in the past 60 years, reaching 81.2 billion US dollars in 2022. Bilateral investment has grown rapidly, and France's investment stock in China has reached over 18 billion US dollars. Both sides have achieved practical cooperation results in fields such as nuclear energy, aviation, agriculture, environmental protection, energy, culture, tourism, and education. France's urgent need for cooperation with China in green development and renewable energy transformation brings new opportunities for deepening bilateral practical cooperation.

conclusion

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, with frequent highlights of exchanges under the leadership of the two heads of state. Since the second half of 2023, China and France have continued to engage in dialogue in areas such as economy, finance, strategy, and culture. Practical cooperation has been promoted in an orderly manner, cultural exchanges have rapidly intensified, and close coordination has been maintained in multilateral occasions. Despite the adjustment of France's policy towards China, the resilience of Sino French relations remains, and bilateral pragmatic cooperation is expected to further deepen in the diplomatic activities of the heads of state of China and France in 2024. China and France maintain high-level cooperation in traditional fields such as aviation, agriculture and food, and civil nuclear power, promoting the French side to allow Chinese automotive companies to invest and build factories in France, accelerating the construction of a joint venture battery plant between Xiamen Xiamen Tungsten New Energy Company and Faoanuo Group, and increasing the scale of trade and investment. At the same time, we will strengthen cooperation in emerging fields such as nuclear energy research and development, low-carbon development, satellite research and development, new energy aviation, and green manufacturing, explore dialogue mechanisms for emerging key industries such as telecommunications infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and big data, and promote France to relax export restrictions on high-tech products to China. The 2024 "China France Cultural Tourism Year" and the Paris Summer Olympics will effectively promote cultural and personnel exchanges between China and France.