PeoplewelcomeChinesePresidentXiJinpinginParis,France,May5,2024.XiarrivedhereSundayforastatevisittoFrance.(Xinhua/LuYe)PARIS,May5(Xinhua)--AsignedarticlebyChinesePresidentXiJinpingtitled"CarryingForwardtheSpiritthatGuidedtheEstablishmentofChina-FranceDiplomaticRelations,WorkingTogetherforGlobalPeaceandDevelopment"waspublishedSundayinFrenchmediaLeFigaro.ThefollowingisanEnglishversionofthefulltextofthearticle:CarryingForwardtheSpiritthatGuidedtheEstablishmentofChina-FranceDiplomaticRelations,WorkingTogetherforGlobalPeaceandDevelopmentXiJinping,presidentofthePeople'sRepublicofChinaIamdelightedtopaymythirdstatevisittoFranceattheinvitationofPresidentEmmanuelMacron.FranceholdsaspecialfascinationforusChinese.Thiscountryhasproducedagalaxyofphilosophers,writers,andartistswithglobalappealwhohaveinspiredallhumanity.Over150yearsago,FrenchnationalshelpedChinafounditsFujianNavyYardandtheFujianNavalAcademy.Francewasalsothefirstcountrytowelcomegovernment-sponsoredstudentsfromChina.Acenturyago,anumberofyoungChinesetraveledtoFranceforfurthereducation.SomeoftheseyoungpatriotswentontomakeremarkablecontributiontothefoundinganddevelopmentofNewChina.FrancewasalsothefirstmajorWesterncountrytoenterintoformaldiplomatictieswithNewChina.Theyear2024isofspecialsignificance.IwillvisitFrancebringingwithmethreemessagesfromChina.—ChinawillworkwithFrancetocarryforwardthespiritthatguidedtheestablishmentoftheirdiplomaticties,buildonpastachievementsandopennewvistasforChina-Francerelations.Thisyearmarksthe60thanniversaryofChina-Francerelations.Sixdecadesago,GeneralCharlesdeGaulle,withastrategicvisionbasedonthetrendofthetime,resolvedtoestablishdiplomaticrelationswithNewChina.Itwasn'teasytomakethisindependentdecisionattheheightoftheColdWar,butithasproventoberightandforesighted.WiththeestablishmentofChina-Francerelations,abridgeofcommunicationbetweentheEastandWestwasbuilt,andtheinternationalrelationswereabletoevolveinthedirectionofdialogueandcooperation.Inthesesixdecades,China-Francerelationshavestayedabreastofthetimes.OurtwocountriestooktheleadinestablishingacomprehensivestrategicpartnershipandlaunchinginstitutionalstrategicdialogueinChina'srelationswithWesterncountries.Wespearheadedcooperationinaviationandnuclearenergyandonthird-partymarkets.Wewereamongthefirsttomutuallyopenculturalcentersandstartculturalyearactivities,providingguidanceformutuallearningbetweencivilizations.China-FrancecooperationcontributedtotheconclusionoftheParisAgreementonclimatechangeandtheKunming-MontrealGlobalBiodiversityFramework,boostingstronglytheimplementationoftheglobalclimateagenda.Historyisourbestteacher.Weliveinaworldthatisfarfrombeingtranquilandisonceagainfacingamultitudeofrisks.ChinaisreadytoworkwithFranceinthespiritthatguidedtheestablishmentofourdiplomatictiestoforgeastrongercomprehensivestrategicpartnershipbetweenourtwocountriesandmakenewcontributionstostrongercooperationoftheglobalcommunity.—ChinawillopenevenwidertotheworldanddeepencooperationwithFranceandothercountries.Thisyearmarksthe75thanniversaryofthePeople'sRepublicofChina.Through75yearsofperseveranthardwork,theChinesepeoplehaveturnedChinafromanimpoverishedcountryintothesecondlargesteconomyintheworld.Severalhundredmillionpeopleinruralareaswereliftedoutofpoverty,amiracleinthehistoryofhumanity.TheChineseeconomyregistered5.2percentgrowthin2023,andisexpectedtogrowbyaround5percentin2024withgreaterprogresstowardhigh-qualitydevelopment.Chinawillremainasourceofglobalgrowthandcreateopportunitiesforallcountries.OnethingthathasmadeChina'sdevelopmentpossibleisourfirmcommitmenttoopeningup.WewelcomemorequalityFrenchfarmproductsandcosmeticstotheChinesemarkettomeettheever-growingneedsoftheChinesepeopleforabetterlife.WewelcomeinvestmentbycompaniesfromFranceandothercountriestoChina.Tothisend,wehavefullyopenedupChina'smanufacturingsector,andwillmovefastertoexpandmarketaccesstotelecom,medicalandotherservices.Wealsohavea15-dayvisa-exemptionpolicyforvisitorsfrommanycountriesincludingFrance,andwehavetakenfurthermeasurestofacilitatetravelandpaymentbyforeignersinChina.Whileopeningupitself,ChinaalsoencouragesChinesecompaniestogoglobal.Franceisadvancingre-industrializationbasedongreeninnovation,whereasChinaisacceleratingthedevelopmentofnewqualityproductiveforces.Ourtwocountriescandeepencooperationoninnovationandjointlypromotegreendevelopment.SomeChinesecompanieshavesetupbatteryplantsinFrance.TheChinesegovernmentsupportsmoreChinesecompaniesininvestinginFrance.AndwehopethatFrancewillensurethattheyoperateinafairandequitablebusinessenvironment.—ChinawillstrengthencommunicationandcoordinationwithFrancetoupholdworldpeaceandstability.Thisyearmarksthe70thanniversaryoftheFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistence.Sevendecadesago,ChinesePremierZhouEnlaiputforthinfullthefiveprinciplesforthefirsttime--"mutualrespectforsovereigntyandterritorialintegrity,mutualnon-aggression,mutualnon-interferenceineachother'sinternalaffairs,equalityandmutualbenefit,andpeacefulcoexistence."Through70years,theFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistencehavebeenwidelyacceptedandrecognizedbycountriesacrosstheworld.Theyhavebecomeanimportantnormgoverningcontemporaryinternationalrelations.ChinahasfaithfullypracticedtheFivePrinciplesofPeacefulCoexistence.Overthepast70-plusyearssinceitsfounding,NewChinaneverprovokedawaroroccupiedaninchofforeignland.ChinaistheonlycountryaroundtheworldthatincludesinitsConstitutionthecommitmenttothepathofpeacefuldevelopment,andChinaistheonlycountryamongthemajornuclear-weaponstatesthatiscommittedtono-first-useofnuclearweapons.IhaveproposedinrecentyearstheGlobalDevelopmentInitiative,theGlobalSecurityInitiative,andtheGlobalCivilizationInitiative.AspartofChina'seffortstohelpimproveglobalgovernanceandresolvetoughquestionregardinghumandevelopment,thethreeinitiativeshavewonthesupportofmorethan100countriesandinternationalorganizations.ChinaunderstandstherepercussionsoftheUkrainecrisisonthepeopleofEurope.ChinadidnotstarttheUkrainecrisis,norisitapartytooraparticipantinit.Nonetheless,Chinahasbeenplayingaconstructiveroleinstrivingforpeacefulsettlementofthecrisis.Ihavemademanyappeals,amongothers,observingthepurposesandprinciplesoftheUNCharter,respectingsovereigntyandterritorialintegrityofallcountries,andaddressingthelegitimatesecurityconcernsofallsides.Ihavestressedthatnuclearweaponsmustnotbeused,andanuclearwarmustnotbefought.ChinahasdeliveredtoUkrainemanyshipmentsofhumanitarianaids,andsentitsspecialrepresentativemanytimestomediateamongthecountriesconcerned.ThelongertheUkrainecrisisdragson,thegreaterharmitwilldotoEuropeandtheworld.ChinahopesthatpeaceandstabilitywillreturntoEuropeatanearlydate.WestandreadytoworkwithFranceandthewholeinternationalcommunitytofindareasonablewayoutofthecrisis.ThePalestinian-Israeliconflictpullsonourheartstringsaswell.ThefundamentalsolutionliesintheestablishmentofanindependentStateofPalestine.HistoryhasrepeatedlyshownthattherecurrentPalestine-IsraelproblemisrootedessentiallyinthefailureofactualenforcementofrelevantUNresolutions,inthecontinuederosionofthefoundationforthetwo-Statesolution,andthedeviationoftheMiddleEastpeaceprocess.ChinaandFrancehavemanyincommononthePalestine-Israelissue.ItisthuscriticalthatwestrengthencooperationandhelprestorepeaceintheMiddleEast.Confuciusobservedthat"amanoftruemoralintegrityisonewhoisbothfriendlybutindependent,andwhodoesnotcompromisehisprinciples,andwhoisindependentwithoutanybiasortakingsides.Howunflinchinglyfirmheisinhisstrength!"FrenchwriterRomainRollandsaidthat"itissomucheasiertoallowoneselftobeguidedthanitistothinkforoneself.Thisabdicationisthekernelofthemischief."BothChinaandFrancevalsueindependenceastwomajorcountries.Ourinteractionsinthelongcourseofhistoryhavereleasedtremendousenergyswayingthetrajectoryoftheworld.Nowwearestandingatanotherhistoricalstartingpoint.LetusjoinhandstogetheronthisnewjourneytowardgreaterprogressinChina-Francerelationstothebenefitofourtwocountriesandtheworld!Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.