(Photo provided to Xinhua Daily)
The Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Provincial People's Government and the Consulate General of France in Shanghai co-hosted a meeting in Nanjing on March 21 to promote further cooperation.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France and the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. The meeting reviewed fruitful outcomes of collaborations between Jiangsu and France, and discussed plans for further cooperation. About 60 representatives of universities, business associations and enterprises participated in the event.
Liu Jiandong, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office, said Jiangsu has been actively implementing the important consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state, and deepening communication and cooperation between Jiangsu and France, achieving developments in sister-city programs, trade and investment, educational partnership, and cultural interactions.
Since 2021, the Foreign Affairs Office and the Consulate General of France in Shanghai have facilitated annual exchanges, establishing platforms of communication for French institutions and local authorities of Jiangsu. Liu expressed Jiangsu’s dedication to elevating these exchanges and collaborations to a higher level.
Joan Valadou, French Consul General in Shanghai, said that he is no stranger to Jiangsu, and visited the coastal province 19 times just last year. He acknowledged the solid foundation and considerable potential for deeper cooperation, noting the presence of over 600 French enterprises investing in Jiangsu. Many joint ventures are focusing on areas like eco-friendly transformation. And the educational institutions of the two sides also enjoy a close partnership, with many cultural activities already in the pipeline.
Both parties value city-level engagements and have actively fostered exchanges and collaborations within the sister-city framework. This meeting plays a crucial role in assessing past interactions and enhancing cooperation, guided by the strategic consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state, said Valadou.
Xinhua Daily Media Group and Emlyon Business School signed a strategic cooperation agreement in the meeting, to facilitate cultural exchanges and assist Chinese and French enterprises in improving mutual understanding and learning, including deeper exchange between cultural brands from the two countries.
The meeting also unveiled a list of 15 Jiangsu-France cooperative projects for 2024, spanning sister-city programs, trade and cultural sectors.
