The many “firsts” of French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day state visit to China, which began on Monday, already speak of the importance that both countries attach to bilateral relations.

It is Macron’s first state visit to China, and also his first trip to Asia since his presidential election win last May. It is also the first visit by a foreign leader to China this year. The visit is also the first by a European leader to China since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

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The world’s second- and fifth-largest economies have already built robust commercial ties featuring reciprocal benefits in such sectors as aviation, nuclear and high-speed rail technology. There is, however, great potential yet to be tapped.

A surplus of 30 billion euros (US$36 billion) in China’s favour remains an irritant in building a healthy and sustainable trade relationship. But that does not define bilateral relations in general.

And with a delegation of business executives from such giants as Airbus and BNP Paribas joining Macron’s trip, “an exceptional number” of business deals worth billions of dollars are expected to be signed. This will help ease trade frictions and open new horizons for Sino-French trade. As will the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative that aims to connect Asia and Europe by road, rail and sea, which also provides great opportunities for French businesses.

China and France can also build a partnership that transcends their bilateral agenda.

The common ground that they share in anti-trade protectionism and the fight against climate change, among other things, can enable the two countries to join hands on such issues, where leadership is urgently needed now that US President Donald Trump is pursuing an anti-trade and anti-globalization position with his “America First” strategy, and has withdrawn from the Paris climate change agreement.

China is committed to the Paris climate deal, seeing it as pivotal for building a community of shared future for all mankind, and to holding high the banner of globalization, which President Xi Jinping said is a tide that is “irreversible”.

Macron, on his part, has promised to promote international cooperation in climate change, and presented himself as a champion of globalization and multilateralism, as evidenced by his support for the European integration project.

All this makes Macron a welcome guest in China, as he and Chinese leaders work together to open a new chapter in Sino-French relations that can benefit not only the two countries, but also the rest of the world as well.

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