China, France urged to defend intl rules, order

Bilateral cooperation has led to many new advancements, Xi tells Macron

President Xi Jinping has called on China and France to strengthen solidarity and cooperation, saying that the two independent major countries should be reliable forces for upholding the international order, open forces for promoting global growth, and progressive forces for guiding multilateral cooperation.

In a phone conversation on Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron, Xi said that the more complex the international situation is, the more necessary it is for China and France to make the right strategic choice.

The phone call was the two leaders' third interaction within a year, following their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November and Xi's state visit to France in May last year.