On the 9th, He Yadong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, said at a regular press conference that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France 60 years ago, the trade volume between the two countries has increased nearly 800 times, reaching 78.9 billion US dollars in 2023. China has become France's largest trading partner outside the European Union, and France is also China's main trading partner in the EU. He Yadong said that over the past 60 years, the cumulative bilateral investment between China and France has exceeded 26 billion US dollars, ranking among the top in cooperation between China and EU countries. More than 2000 French companies operate in China. The economies of China and France have formed a strong symbiotic relationship of mutual benefit. The Ministry of Commerce and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently signed a memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises, committed to providing a better business environment for cooperation between the two countries. The sixth meeting of the China France Entrepreneur Committee was successfully held, with over 200 entrepreneurs from both countries participating in discussions. Both companies signed 15 cooperation agreements in fields such as finance, nuclear energy, aviation, manufacturing, and new energy. Next, the Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant departments from the French side to conscientiously implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new level. (Lai Xin She)