China and France mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties. France became the first Western country to normalize ties with China in 1964 and since then Sino-French relations have strengthened and expanded. 

Today, France is China’s third-largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade totaling nearly $79 billion.

Joining the discussion:

• Yan Liang is a Chair and Professor in Economics at Willamette University. 
• Richard Werly is an International Correspondent with the Swiss Daily, Blick.
• Joav Toker is an Associate Professor at the American Graduate School in Paris.
• Victor Gao is a Chair Professor at Soochow University.

Over the past 60 years, China-France relations have always been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries, bringing benefits to the two peoples and contributing to world peace, stability and development, Xi said in a video speech to a reception in Beijing… pic.twitter.com/2n9TEGrnVK

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 25, 2024

Xinhua Commentary: 60 years on, China-France relations continue to benefit world peace, stability https://t.co/GBDkr8IJyt pic.twitter.com/uuqLVJjQIc

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 28, 2024