Geneviève Fioraso, former French Minister of Higher Education and Research and former Deputy Mayor of Grenoble, spoke to CGTN Europe about the significance of President Macron’s state visit to China. She highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral exchanges and cooperation in areas such as public health, education, and commerce, emphasizing a multi-partner approach to address global challenges like climate change and to promote peace and stability. Fioraso noted that both France and China will play major economic roles in the coming year, stressing the need to share economic strategies, improve trade balance, and advance innovation and sustainability together.
00:00Well, the former French government minister, Geneviève Foriasseau, has been reflecting on this visit.
00:06Well, as you know, it's President Macron's fourth state visit to China.
00:13Obviously, it shows all the importance of France and Europe, France in Europe, relationship with China.
00:20This visit is not only useful, I think, for bilateral exchanges, traditional R&D, fields of cooperation such as R&D, public health education, commercial, of course.
00:36But it is essential in the worldwide evolving background with the necessity for a multi-parter approach.
00:44So it's quite a new approach, in fact.
00:47Just give us some context here, if you would.
00:50I mean, give us a snapshot of China-France relations as they stand now and perhaps how this visit might influence that.
01:02OK, so you're aware of minor misunderstandings between our two countries, such as the current Sheen or TikTok episodes.
01:11But besides that, I'm optimistic where we will find solutions.
01:17But besides that, we have essential topics to discuss regarding common worldwide vital concerns.
01:24I would first point to climate change and the contribution and cooperation of China on one part and France in Europe on the other part to reduce the causes and impact of this threat.
01:37The second point would be the contribution for a more peaceful world with the management and preferably the prevention of current and emergent worldwide military conflicts.
01:49So I do hope that this visit will be the opportunity to share these two worldwide essential challenges, climate change impact and research for a more sustainable world.
02:01So this is my my own concern.
02:04And I think it's shared by, I should say, all citizens.
02:09Let's explore the challenges of the new year a little more, if we might.
02:14Both France and China will hold big economic leadership roles in the new year in 2026.
02:22France in the G7, China in APEC.
02:26How might this relate shape their respective relationships?
02:30So you're right to stress that it is really a strategic economic point, both for China within APEC and France and Europe within G7.
02:46So our two countries will have to share the economic strategy and roadmap for the years to come for the different continents and see what convergences are possible.
02:58Well, I hope most of them today, for instance, in France, 46 percent of our foreign trade deficit is due to massive importation of Chinese products and equipments in our country.
03:11Therefore, has to improve this balance really in favor of France and in our commercial exchanges with China with a full goal.
03:22Again, secure our French, within Europe, sovereignty and develop an improved cooperation in major innovative and emergent fields useful for our planet.
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