He Lifeng seeks steadier China-Europe trade dialogue
On.cc · 2 SOURCES1 day ago6 MIN
Summary
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), also a member of the Communist Party Politburo, met Emmanuel Bonne, foreign affairs adviser to the French president, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, October 13, to exchange views on practical China-France economic cooperation and China-Europe trade relations. He said there was broad room to upgrade China-France economic and trade cooperation and that Beijing was willing to work with France to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' leaders. He also said China and Europe are important economic and trade partners and that China was willing to maintain dialogue with the European side in trade and economic matters to add more stability and positive momentum to bilateral relations. Bonne said France attached great importance to economic cooperation with China and was willing to work with Beijing to secure further positive results in Europe-China trade and investment consultations while keeping economic ties stable.
Key Points
- The meeting took place on Tuesday, October 13, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to both reports published on October 14.
- He Lifeng and Emmanuel Bonne exchanged views on practical China-France economic cooperation and the broader state of China-Europe economic and trade relations.
- He said China-France trade cooperation still had significant room for improvement and called for implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state.
- He described China and Europe as important economic and trade partners and said continued dialogue could inject stability and positive energy into ties.
- Bonne said France highly valued economic cooperation with China and supported continued Europe-China trade and investment consultations with positive outcomes.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the message is that Beijing is publicly emphasizing continuity and dialogue in its economic dealings with Europe rather than confrontation. That matters because steadier China-Europe trade relations can support business confidence for companies in Hong Kong that depend on cross-border investment, trade flows and policy predictability.