France's foreign minister reiterates support for one-China principle

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday he hopes and believes France will continue to understand and support China's legitimate position regarding erroneous remarks related to Taiwan made by Japan's prime minister.

Wang made the comment during a meeting with France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Beijing while Barrot accompanied France's President Emmanuel Macron on a three-day state visit to China.

Macron arrived Beijing on Wednesday evening, kicking off his fourth state visit to the country.

Noting that China and France were both on the victorious side in World War II, Wang said they should jointly safeguard the hard-won outcomes of the victory, and never allow Japan to use Taiwan to stir up trouble or repeat the mistakes of history.

China's foreign minister also stressed that it is necessary for Beijing and Paris to strengthen communication and cooperation amid complicated and intertwined global challenges and called on the two countries to shoulder their shared responsibility as major countries and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Wang said he believes, with joint efforts from the two countries, Macron's visit will further enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen strategic cooperation, and inject new impetus into the development of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership.

When discussing the Russia-Ukraine crisis, China's foreign minister said that despite the differences in positions of various parties, both Beijing and Paris should encourage those involved to continue their dialogue, rather than undermine their efforts or create unnecessary obstacles.

Barrot said France firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and that he expects Macron's visit to further enhance the friendship and cooperation between the people of China and France.

He added that France stands ready to actively advance the development of relations between the European Union and China.