Infographic: Ample Opportunities Identified in China-France Economic and Trade Collaboration

It has been sixty years since China and France inaugurated diplomatic ties, a milestone that distinguished France as the initial Western power to formally establish such relations with China. A significant expansion of economic and trade cooperation between China and France is evident in the growing bilateral trade volume and mutual direct investment over these six decades.

In the European Union arena, France has emerged as China's third major trading ally, boasting a total bilateral trade volume reaching $78.9 billion in 2023. Conversely, France regards China as its primary trading partner in Asia. Further illustrating the flourishing trading relationship, actual investment from France to China escalated by 105.6 percent within the first eight months of the previous year compared to the same period in the preceding year.

France holds the distinction of being the foremost European investor in China, spinning a web of more than 2,000 foreign-invested enterprises that employ over 300,000 individuals. A direct testament to this is the prevalent participation of 140 French exhibitors at the sixth China International Import Expo.

According to Soumia Malinbaum, Vice-President of CCI Paris Ile-de-France, China's massive market of 400 million middle-income consumers has paved the way for French consumer goods and service industries. The recent evolution in Chinese market consumption patterns has opened a realm of new opportunities for these sectors.

Equally, Chinese investors find a warm welcome in France, particularly in fields such as electric vehicles, batteries, and energy transition. China's Ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, highlights the vast potential for collaboration between China and France in areas including high-end manufacturing, modern service industries, and the digital economy amongst others.

Lu considers the China-France relationship to be a potent force that propels the relationship between China and Europe. He stated, "China and Europe share extensive common interests," and added that a strong China-France rapport could offer an influential guiding role in the wider China-Europe relationship.