French minister rules out decoupling from China
France wants better access to the Chinese market and a more "balanced" trade relationship, not a "decoupling" from the world's second-biggest economy, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday after meeting top Chinese officials, Reuters reported.
French minister rules out decoupling from China
The Economics of Geography

French minister rules out decoupling from China

Photo: AFP/Pedro Pardo
Eurasia 01/08/2023 18:03

France wants better access to the Chinese market and a more "balanced" trade relationship, not a "decoupling" from the world's second-biggest economy, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday after meeting top Chinese officials, Reuters reported.

"We don't want to face some legislative hurdles or some other barriers to get access to the Chinese markets," Le Maire told a press conference in Beijing a day after what he called "constructive" trade talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng.

"This of course was at the core of our discussions," he said. "We want to get a better access and a more balanced access to the Chinese market," he said, according to the news agency. 

"Derisking does not mean that China is a risk," Le Maire said. "Derisking means that we want to be more independent and that we don't want to face any risk in our supply chains if there would be a new crisis, like the COVID one with the total breakdown of some of the value chains."
Photo: AFP/Pedro Pardo
"We are totally opposed to the idea of decoupling. Decoupling is an illusion," Le Maire told reporters at the French embassy, China Daily reported. "We stand ready to have Chinese investments in the automotive industry in France and in Europe," he said, adding that it would be a "very good thing" for Chinese businesses to invest and expand their operations within Europe.

China stands ready to strengthen policy communication with France further, deepen practical cooperation, step up coordination on international and multilateral affairs, and push the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high, He said, according to Xinhua.
#China #France #EU-China relations #decoupling
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