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| Accueil :| Actualités > A l'Elysée > 2004 > Janvier

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Deepening the Franco-Chinese strategic global partnership in order to promote
a safer world characterized by greater solidarity and respect for diversity

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, the President of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Hu Jintao, will be paying a state visit to France from January 26 to January 29, at the invitation of the President of the French Republic, Mr. Jacques Chirac. This visit provides an opportunity to reaffirm the strength of the friendship uniting the two countries. The Franco-Chinese partnership has come into its own. It now stands at the core of two broader partnerships, the Euro-Chinese relationship, whose expansion is an important factor on the international scene, and the Euro-Asiatic dialogue taking place through ASEM.

In the context of the deep and complex changes in the international situation during this new century, France and China have agreed, in an extension of their Joint Declaration of 1997, to consolidate, develop and enrich their strategic global partnership. They have agreed on the following priorities:

1. To work together to strengthen the multilateral system for collective security

As permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, France and China have a particular responsibility in preserving international peace and security and in seeking effective responses to threats against the latter two. To this end, they believe that increasing cooperation on major international issues helps develop a safer, more stable international environment.

France and China recall their attachment to multilateralism as the most suitable way for preventing and effectively resolving crises, in response to global and regional threats and challenges.

France and China reaffirm their attachment to respecting the aims and principles of the UN Charter. They pledge to act together within the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly to promote a greater respect of its principles.

France and China support the reform of the United Nations in a way that maintains its authority and strengthens its role. They are in favor of a necessary and rational reform of the Security Council, in a way that makes it better adapted to changes in the world and strengthens its ability to respond effectively to the many threats and challenges currently facing international peace and security.

France and China underscore the need to strengthen the UN's efforts in the area of sustainable development and, to this end, to deeply reflect on the reform of that organization, including in those areas that are linked to international governance.

To contribute to the quest for peace by actively participating in peacekeeping operations

France and China want to help resolve conflicts and deal with crises peacefully. To achieve this objective, they agree to expand exchanges of expertise in the implementation and management of peacekeeping operations. They envision cooperating more closely in UN peacekeeping operations.

To work for arms control and non-proliferation

France and China reaffirm the importance of respecting and reinforcing international instruments on arms control and non-proliferation as well as their wish to resolutely combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their vectors. To this end, they agree to strengthen their cooperation and exchanges in the area of arms control, non-proliferation and the control of sensitive exports, notably by creating, in the framework of their strategic dialogue, a working group on arms control and non-proliferation.

Attached as they are to the strict respect of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, France and China reaffirm the importance of this treaty and their determination to work on behalf of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty's entry in force.

They also reaffirm their attachment to the strict respect of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

They approve the principle of convening a UNSC Summit on non-proliferation.

France hails China's development of national regulations on the control of sensitive exports and expresses its wish that China accede as quickly as possible to the MTCR and in the long term to other multilateral export control regimes.

France and China note the importance of preventing an arms race in outer space.

To fight terrorism in all its forms

France and China condemn terrorism in all its forms. They call on the international community to strengthen cooperation and bring a concerted response, first and foremost under the auspices and coordination of the UN and its Security Council, in strict respect of the UN Charter and the principles of international law, to the threat that terrorism represents for international security. With regard to the common fight against terrorism in all its forms, they pledge to strengthen cooperation in the judicial and financial realms and those of policing and domestic security.

They are united in their belief that the aspects of terrorism are as diverse as they are complex, and that an integrated approach must therefore be adopted that makes it possible to attack both its manifestations and its sources.

On all of these subjects, the Franco-Chinese strategic dialogue offers a privileged framework for cooperation. The two countries have agreed to expand this dialogue with a view to joint actions.

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2. To support the resolution of global issues

To promote sustainable development

France and China pledge to work together to achieve the millenium development objectives established by the UN in September 2000. They pledge to fight poverty, hunger, illness, environmental degradation, illiteracy and discrimination against women.

To protect the environment

France and China recall their adhesion to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In this context, they call on the promotion of a clean development mechanism as provided by article 12 of the Protocol, as an effective contribution to sustainable development and the reduction of greenhouse gases.

In order to ensure that the international community takes environmental concerns into greater account, they support the strengthening of the UN Environment Programme and the organization of wide-ranging discussions on its reform. They intend to increase their consultations on this subject.

To support fair international trade and globalization based on solidarity

France and China reaffirm their attachment to the World Trade Organization, the sole body that defines the rules on world trade, and the multilateral trading system, as well as their resolve to contribute through the WTO to economic growth, development and employment.

Within the framework of the WTO, France and China pledge to work together to establish a fair international trading order, one that is just and open, and to increase their consultations and cooperation on this matter. Given their attachment to the implementation of the conclusions of the Doha Summit, France and China recognize the need to help developing countries, and particularly the least advanced, to truly become integrated into the multilateral trading system and the world economy.

At a time when globalization is having sometimes difficult economic and social consequences, France and China reaffirm their attachment to implementing a globalization characterized by solidarity that integrates the social dimension and is based on fair trade, in order to eliminate poverty and ensure sustainable development.

To jointly promote cultural diversity

France and China recall their attachment to the world's cultural diversity. They support and intend to participate actively in the various activities involved in developing an international convention on cultural diversity under the auspices of UNESCO. They both believe that ASEM could help promote dialogue, understanding and mutual respect among the different cultures and civilizations of the world.

To work more closely together within international negotiating forums

France and China were pleased with the success of China's first-time participation in a meeting on the sidelines of the G8 Summit in Evian. They agree to work together to promote these relations of dialogue and cooperation, including China's increased participation in ad hoc coordination mechanisms.

They call for making more systematic their common deliberative approaches within international negotiating forums such as the WTO and the ILO, and for increasing their exchanges through regular visits by officials in charge of these questions.

To fight for the right to health and against epidemics

The recent SARS epidemic and the persistence of major pandemics such as AIDS, cholera and tuberculosis demonstrate the need to take measures to further strengthen the capabilities of the public health sector, including those related to systems of prevention and the immunization against contagious diseases, in order to promote economic development and social progress. Concerned with fairness and solidarity, France and China agree to strengthen international scientific cooperation and research in these areas.

To achieve this objective, they agree to increase their cooperation within the UN, the WHO and other relevant international organizations.

To strengthen cooperation on human rights and the rule of law

France and China underscore the need to promote and protect human rights in accordance with the aims and principles of the UN Charter, respecting the universality of those rights. They believe that States, while taking into account the specificities of each nation, have the duty to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental liberties. They believe that respecting human rights is one of the conditions essential to the harmonious development of all countries and confirm the importance of the international pact on economic, social and cultural laws, the international pact on civil and political rights, and other relevant international conventions. China has created a working group to ratify in a timely fashion the international pact on civil and political rights. The two parties underscore the importance of the Euro-Chinese dialogue on human rights and seek to strengthen it.

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The French Government confirms its constant position on the unicity of China. It is opposed to any unilateral initiative of any kind, includind a referendum which would aim at altering the status quo, increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait and lead to the independence of Taiwan.
The French Government considers that relations between the two sides of the Strait must be based on a constructive dialogue in order to secure a peaceful settlement of the issue of Taiwan and to ensure the region's stability and prosperity.

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3. To expand the bilateral Franco-Chinese relationship at the heart of the EU-China relationship

France and China are of the opinion that since 1997, their high-level political dialogue has been fruitful, their dialogues and consultations at different levels have intensified, and the sphere of their cooperation has broadened. They affirm their will to expand Franco-Chinese relations with a strategic vision and in their long-term interests and to pursue the dynamic of visits between their leaders. France and China will further strengthen the mechanism of their strategic consultations and will intensify their dialogue as well as consultations at different levels and among different departments of their foreign ministries.

The strategic Franco-Chinese global partnership now constitutes the heart of the Euro-Chinese relationship, whose development is an important factor on the international scene. France and China will help make this relationship more powerful in every area.

On the strength of the achievements of the strategic global partnership, which made it possible to establish a coherent basis for developing their bilateral relationship, France and China note their determination to go further, by defining the following orientations:

Developing economic cooperation and trade

-Developing industrial partnerships in the structuring sectors, notably those of energy, aeronautics and space, and rail and urban transport. Technology transfers accompanying the rise of these partnerships will ensure a balanced industrial relationship between the two countries.
-Strengthening cooperation with respect to the environment, including the fight against climate change within the framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.
-Strengthening cooperation in the agricultural and agrifoods sector and rapidly resolving pending issues in veterinary and phytosanitary matters
-Facilitating the integration of small- and medium-size French and Chinese companies into bilateral trade. To this end, the two parties will strive to reinforce and facilitate the information available to businesses and to develop partnerships between small- and medium-size French and Chinese businesses.

Expanding the partnership in civilian nuclear applications

-France and China are pleased with the partnership they have had for more than 20 years in the area of nuclear energy used for power generation and intend to continue and develop it. Indeed, the development of electronuclear energy contributes, in a logic of sustainable development, to the security of the supply, energy independence and the fight against climate change.
-France hails the choices China has made in nuclear policy, particularly its use of progressively standardized facilities, notably with regard to reactors and technologies, its resolve to master the technology and the importance of ensuring a very high level of safety in its nuclear plants. France and China want to expand their cooperation in the civilian nuclear sector to achieve these objectives. China favors France's active participation in China's nuclear development efforts, in a spirit of competition.

Expanding scientific, cultural and technical cooperation

-France and China reaffirm their will to intensify their scientific and technological cooperation, to strengthen their cooperation in fighting disease, in information technology, in telecommunications and other areas.
-They have agreed to establish working groups in the areas of space and life sciences, encouraging a rapprochement and cooperation between public and private research institutions and the universities of the two countries.
-They have agreed to extend the dynamic initiated in the framework of Années croisées France-Chine and to increase the number of cultural events, notably in publishing and the audio-visual sectors.

Facilitating exchanges between people

-France and China encourage stronger academic and linguistic cooperation to increase student exchanges.
-They will strengthen cooperation in the legal and domestic security arenas, in accordance, notably, with the intergovernmental agreement relating to cooperation in domestic security matters.
-They have agreed to help increase tourism between the two countries through suitable policies, including those relating to visas.

Jacques Chirac President of the French Republic

Hu Jintao President of the People's Republic of China