The Sino-French Connection （Jiang Shixue）

The year 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of official Sino-French relations. On January 27, 1964, Beijing and Paris announced the start of their diplomatic relationship. Described by some as a "diplomatic nuclear explosion," the event came as a shock to the international community.

The joint communiqué establishing diplomatic ties between China and France was unusually brief—just 45 Chinese characters long—but the reaction from around the world was grave.

Shortly after the announcement, U.S.-based Time magazine commented on the global significance of the event: "As a nation, France has seemed to be dying all through the 20th century … Yet last week the impossible had apparently come true, and France was once more a mover and shaker in world affairs ... To cap his nation's re-emergence as a world power, [French President Charles] De Gaulle recognized the communist regime in Beijing as the government of China, brushing aside protests from Washington that the move would seriously damage U.S. policy in Asia."

In the geopolitical context of the 1960s, Paris' decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing illustrated the keen judgment of De Gaulle toward China, cementing his legacy as a visionary with an ability to discern fundamental historical trends. The far-sighted French politician said that China would play an important role in resolving a host of difficult problems facing Asia and the world.

Moreover, the independent foreign policy that De Gaulle endowed to France was an important factor contributing to the establishment of Sino-French relationship while not succumbing to the U.S. pressure. In 1965, De Gaulle proclaimed that "the United States is the greatest danger in the world today to peace."

Friendship

In France's last presidential election campaign, the then President Nicolas Sarkozy's team criticized rival Francois Hollande for never having visited China. Hollande asserted that he would visit China as soon as possible if elected, and went on to keep his promise. In April 2013, as France's new president, Hollande successfully completed his first China trip. He was also the first major Western leader to be received in Beijing by China's new leadership.

France can also lay claim to at least two other "firsts" in Sino-Western relations besides being the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China: Then Chinese Ambassador to Paris Kong Quan was the first foreign ambassador President Hollande met after his election in May 2012 and Hollande was the first state head of a major Western country to make a congratulatory call to Chinese President Xi Jinping after Xi was elected in March 2013.

These firsts not only show the traditional friendship between China and France as well as the strategic insight of France but also the importance Hollande attaches to Sino-French relations and the healthy development of the current bilateral relationship.

Setbacks

After establishing an official relationship, the relations between the two countries gradually got on the right track. However, Sino-French relations have not always been smooth over the past half-century. In 1992, France decided to sell arms to China's Taiwan, infringing upon China's sovereignty and interfering with its domestic affairs. China reacted with decisive measures: Some proposed joint projects were canceled; France's Consulate General in Guangzhou was closed; and bilateral exchanges above the ministerial level were shelved. The Sino-French relationship was thus badly hurt due to France's misjudgment.

It was not until early 1994, when a joint communiqué was published, that bilateral relations were once again normalized. In the document, France recognized that Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China and promised not to sell arms to the region again. In the more than 10 years that followed, Sino-French relations witnessed rapid progress and fruitful cooperation in various fields including politics, the economy, science and culture.

On July 1, 2008, France assumed the rotating EU presidency. It should have been a good opportunity for the then French President Sarkozy to promote relations between France and China. But he blackmailed China by saying that he would only attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics if the dialogue between the Central Government of China and the representatives of the Dalai Lama could be fruitful. Though Sarkozy later attended the ceremony, he also met with the Dalai Lama, whom the Chinese Government accuses of attempting to separate Tibet from China, that December, the first head of state of the EU presidency to do so.

Sarkozy's defiance was met with a strong reaction. China felt dissatisfied with the irresponsible moves of the French side. The planned China-EU Summit was postponed, and the then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's trip to Europe in early 2009 excluded France. Premier Wen later said that, when he looked at the map, he noticed that his airplane circled around France. He added, "The reason France was not included in the trip is known to all. It is not China's fault."

To restore bilateral relations, China and France issued a joint press communiqué on April 1, 2009, in which France recognized the importance and sensitivity of the Tibet issue, reaffirmed its adherence to the one-China policy and the position that Tibet is an integral part of Chinese territory, and refused to support any form of "Tibet independence."

In November 2010, the then Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a visit to France. After Hu's meeting with Sarkozy, the two countries issued a joint statement, pledging to build a new, mature and stable comprehensive strategic partnership based on mutual trust and mutual benefit. Sino-French relations thereby entered a new stage of development.

Sino-EU relations

Despite these ups and downs, both sides agree on the necessity to deepen bilateral relations further. At a time when the international political and economic pattern has undergone profound changes, it is particularly important for China and France, two permanent members of the UN Security Council, to jointly take on more responsibilities in maintaining world peace and promoting global development.

France has made indelible contributions to the promotion of Sino-European relations. For instance, acting as a mediator, France assisted in the establishment of China-Italy official relations in 1970. France also played an important role in promoting the establishment of the Sino-EU comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003.

France has long been committed to ending a European arms embargo imposed on China. When the then French President Jacques Chirac visited Japan in March 2005, he said at a joint press conference with the then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that China's demand that the EU lift its arms embargo was legitimate and reasonable.

However, the efforts and attempts of France and some other EU countries in promoting the end of the European arms embargo on China failed under pressure from the United States.

Certainly, the support for one another on many international issues between China and France are mutually beneficial. The deep advancement of Sino-French relations is in keeping with the diplomatic diversification principle of both countries. It is not only helpful for the development of the relations between China and other Western countries but also conducive to the growth of the relationship between France and emerging economies. For instance, when France began to serve as the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) in 2010, Sarkozy actively sought the support of China. In August 2011, Sarkozy made a "blitz" visit to China during his trip to France's New Caledonia. International media claimed that the visit was related to the G20 Summit that would be held in France, noting that Paris needed the close cooperation of Beijing in promoting its G20 Summit agenda.

A promising future

As big nations with a strong spirit of independence, both China and France are committed to the prosperity of their nations and the happiness of their people, as well as multilateralism and multipolarity. Those similarities have no doubt laid a solid political basis for the steady advancement of the Sino-French relationship.

Having undergone both positive and negative experiences, leaders from both countries have realized the importance of improving Sino-French relations. During Hollande's latest visit to China last April, Chinese President Xi said that the two sides should strengthen communication and exchanges, respect each other, deepen mutual trust, earnestly accommodate each other's core interests and major concerns and support each other's independent choice of development paths.

"We are looking forward to seeing the development of a new type of China-France comprehensive strategic partnership in the future," Xi said. "We stand ready to work with France through this visit to enhance strategic and political trust, promote practical cooperation across the board, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs and take the new type of China-France comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high."

Hollande also said that as two responsible powers, China and France should enhance dialogue and coordination on pressing global issues, working together to promote economic governance and safeguard world peace and prosperity.

China and France are at different stages of development, and the two economies are highly complementary to each other. This also provides a good opportunity for both countries to reach win-win results through economic cooperation. France is now China's fourth largest trade partner in the EU, behind Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. Bilateral trade increased from $13.4 billion in 2003 to $51 billion in 2012, with the bilateral trade volume in the first three quarters in 2013 reaching $37.1 billion. Two-way direct investments are also on the rise, suggesting even greater opportunities for future growth and cooperation.

Timeline of China-France Relations

January 27, 1964: China and France establish diplomatic relations. France becomes the first major Western nation to recognize New China.

September 11-17, 1973: French President Georges Pompidou becomes the first Western European president to visit China.

May 12-18, 1975: Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping visits France in the first trip to a major Western state by a Chinese leader.

October 15-18, 1979: Chinese Premier Hua Guofeng conducts the first visit to France by a Chinese premier.

November 7-12, 1987: Chinese President Li Xiannian visits France, completing the first visit to the country by a Chinese president.

September 27, 1991: France sells six Lafayette-class missile frigates to Taiwan, severely damaging bilateral relations.

January 12, 1994: China and France issue a joint communiqué, in which France commits to ceasing arming Taiwan, thus re-stabilizing ties.

September 8-14, 1994: Chinese President Jiang Zemin pays a visit to France during the 30th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations. The two countries agree to develop bilateral relations on an equal and mutually beneficial basis.

May 16, 1997: Chinese President Jiang Zemin and visiting French President Jacques Chirac sign a joint statement agreeing to establish a "comprehensive partnership."

January 26-29, 2004: Chinese President Hu Jintao pays a three-day visit to France, during which the two countries pledge to forge a "comprehensive strategic partnership," opening a new chapter in China-France relations.

November 25-27, 2007: French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits China.

2008: China-France relations are temporarily damaged by Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama.

April 1, 2009: China and France restore bilateral ties with the release of a joint press communiqué, in which France reaffirms its adherence to the one-China policy and the position that Tibet is an integral part of Chinese territory.

2009: France becomes China's fourth biggest trade partner within the European Union, whereas China is France's No. 1 trade partner in Asia.

November 4-6, 2010: China and France sign a series of cooperation agreements during a visit to France by Chinese President Hu Jintao.

April 25-26, 2013: French President Francois Hollande visits China.

http://www.bjreview.com.cn/quotes/txt/2014-01/20/content_591802.htm

（Contact Jiang Shixue：jiangsx@cass.org.cn）