French senator proposes closer cooperation with China for multilateralism

French Senator Pierre Laurent has advised cooperation with China in order to support efficient multilateralism and fight against climate change.

Laurent said in a recent interview that he prefers relations "more equitable, balanced and mutually beneficial between strategic partners."

"The Belt and Road Initiative is a grand project that we are following very closely," he said, adding that the aim of the program to draw near countries and regions of the world "interests us. This is why we would wish for an active participation."

Laurent highlighted the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter, which, he said constitute "the only universally legitimate basis for an international order" and "the indispensable foundation of a world more peaceful, prosperous and just."

He said he favored closer ties between the European Union(EU) and China based on the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including measures to further develop their commercial relations, as well as their joint effort to fight climate changes.

Laurent said he stood for the development of economic, cultural, and diplomatic cooperation between China and the EU.

He proposed a frank and deep dialogue between the two sides in order to create a climate of trust necessary for China-Europe relations. "We wish to contribute there positively," Laurent said.

Laurent, who is also the president of the National Council of the French Communist Party (FCP), said the FCP and the Communist Party of China (CPC) have "major points in common" across multiple domains, including social progress, the fight for the climate and biodiversity, food security and health, he said.

"The exponential development" of China since the introduction of reform and opening up more than 40 years ago is fascinating, said the FCP president.

Laurent acclaimed the historical merit of the CPC in modernizing China, assuring its economic independence and its technological development.

He said the results obtained by China in the elimination of poverty were remarkable. "I noted with interest the ambitious Chinese decisions in this regard, the elevation of this task to the level of a national priority," illustrated notably by a plan to rehabilitate the less developed west regions in the country, he added.