On July 10, 2012, Premier Wen Jiabao met with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai.

"China attaches great importance to its ties with France and the two nations share identical or similar views on many issues of global and strategic significance," said Premier Wen. Both countries pursue an independent foreign policy and advocate the strengthening of global economic governance and promotion of world multi-polarization. Wen told Fabius that China is willing to work with the French side to enhance understanding, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and boost humanities exchanges based on mutual respect and equality in order to push the China-France bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high. China is considering expanding domestic demand and is ready to import more value-added products from France and introduce the country's advanced technology, to promote the comprehensive and balanced growth of two-way trade and jointly cope with the global financial crisis and the European debt problems, Wen added.

Fabius said France has been pioneering in the development of relations with China and it was the first Western power to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. France and China share the same views on many major issues including world multi-polarization with successful cooperation in a wide range of areas and their consensus and common interests are far greater than differences. France highly appreciates China's development and the new French government will continue to maintain high-level exchanges with China, consolidate the existing outcomes, look for new areas of cooperation and promote the advancement of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership on the basis of mutual trust and mutual benefit.

Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and other officials attended the meeting.