BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Wednesday agreed in a telephone conversation to deepen cooperation between China and France, as well as to advance China-European Union (EU) relations.

The talk marked the eighth phone conversation between the two heads of state since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and also an important exchange between the two presidents since France took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. The phone call also took place in the first month of the Year of the Tiger and coincided with the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

The "New Year" call between the Chinese and French leaders is of great significance, which steers the relations between the two countries and China-EU relations, experts say.

CHARTING COURSE FOR BILATERAL TIES

In their conversation, Xi recalled that in 2021 he and Macron talked over phone twice, attended two China-France-Germany video summits, and actively promoted the development of bilateral ties.

Macron said that as the current international situation is fraught with tension and turbulence, such a backdrop has strengthened France's hope to deepen its comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

Feng Zhongping, the director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that during the phone conversation, Xi and Macron identified new key areas of cooperation, which is conducive to the steady development of China-France and China-EU relations.

The phone conversation between the two leaders has set the general direction for China-France and China-EU relations for some time to come, he added.

Lyazid Benhami, vice president of the Paris Association of French-Chinese Friendship, called the promotion of the bilateral relationship "a priority for the two presidents" amid the ravaging pandemic.

He pointed to bilateral support for such concrete projects as aerospace and aeronautics, noting that this was an opportunity to deepen the strategic and global partnership between France and China.

Christine Bierre, an expert at the Schiller France Institute, described the tone of conversation on both sides as frank and forward-looking, adding that the multiple agreements reached by the two sides focus on win-win cooperation and will continue to allow for progress in important sectors.

PROMOTING CHINA-FRANCE COOPERATION

In the new year, Xi said, China and France should keep up with the positive, healthy and upward trajectory, adhere to the principle of mutual respect and equality, strengthen dialogue and exchanges at all levels, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and push for new achievements in bilateral cooperation.

For his part, Macron said that France is satisfied with the major achievements the two countries have made over recent years in bilateral cooperation in such fields as technology, agriculture, aviation and nuclear energy.

He said his country is ready to work with China to explore ways to overcome the impact of COVID-19, strengthen personnel exchanges, enhance friendship and mutual trust, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Zhang Bei, assistant research fellow with the China Institute of International Studies, noted that during the phone conversation, the two heads of state announced multiple important agreements covering agricultural products, green cooperation, finance and third-party markets, among other areas.

These cooperation agreements fully demonstrate that as China deepens reform and opening-up and the Chinese economy continues to achieve high-quality development, the sky is the limit for China-EU cooperation, which will bring tangible development opportunities for French and other European companies and strengthen the internal driving force of Europe's cooperation with China, she said.

BOOSTING CHINA-EU TIES

Xi said he has repeatedly stressed that China and the EU should uphold a correct understanding of each other, and stick to mutual respect, dialogue and cooperation, and mutual benefit.

The two sides should work together to build the greatest common ground and steer China-EU relations towards new development, he added.

China, he said, stands ready to work with France to make a success of the China-EU leaders' meeting and the new round of high-level dialogues on strategic, economic and trade, green, digital and people-to-people affairs, and advance the ratification and implementation of the China-EU investment agreement, so as to bring tangible benefits to the people on both sides.

During its EU presidency in the first half of this year, Macron said, France will make every effort to advance the positive agenda between the EU and China, and work with China to ensure the success of the EU-China leaders' meeting and push forward the development of EU-China relations.

As France assumed the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of this year, strengthening China-France relations will give a stronger boost to China-EU relations, Feng said.

Noting that the phone conversation also covered European security issues, changes in the international landscape, he said that in-depth communication between the two leaders will play a positive role in strengthening bilateral economic and trade cooperation and promoting global peace and stability.

BUILDING PEACEFUL WORLD

Xi pointed out that the fact that the Beijing Winter Olympics has unfolded smoothly as scheduled demonstrates that the international community yearns for peace, unity and progress.

Noting that it is a quite demanding task for China to host the event as scheduled under the current circumstances, Macron said the French side has always supported and will continue to fully support the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Maximilian Krah, a member of the European Parliament, said that the Olympic Games are an event which brings people from around the world together and stands for peace and cooperation, adding that cooperation is possible and feasible insofar as the Beijing Winter Olympics is being held successfully.

Jian Junbo, an associate professor at the Center for China-EU Relations of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, described the Olympic Games as an event for peace.

The fact that France and other countries support the Beijing Winter Olympics under the guidance of the Olympic spirit is conducive to creating a peaceful atmosphere in the international community together with other participating countries and is of positive significance to easing international tensions, Jian said.