On the afternoon of June 21, 2023 local time, at the invitation of the French government, Li Qiang of the State Council arrived at Paris Orly Airport by chartered plane to pay an official visit to France and attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong, and other accompanying officials arrived on the same plane.

Li Qiang walked down the ramp. The honor guards lined up on both sides of the red carpet to pay tribute. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye, among others, greeted him at the airport.

Li Qiang said that France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a major country with an independent spirit, and a comprehensive strategic partner of China. China-France relations have maintained a high level of development and always carried global significance that goes far beyond the bilateral scope. In April this year, President Xi Jinping and President Emmanuel Macron reached a series of strategic common understandings, outlining a great blueprint for China-France comprehensive strategic partnership and charting the course for China-France cooperation at bilateral, China-Europe and global levels. China is ready to work with France to turn the blueprint for the development of China-France relations drawn up by the two heads of state into working plans and reality, expand two-way opening-up, build more resilient industrial and supply chains between China and France and between China and Europe, deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development, so as to inject new impetus into the sustained, sound and steady growth of China-France relations, and inject more confidence and strength into world peace, stability and development.

During his stay in France, Li Qiang will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, hold talks with French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, meet with French Senate President Gérard Larcher, attend a dinner banquet with the Chinese and French business communities and visit French companies. Li Qiang will also attend and address the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact upon invitation.

Li Qiang arrived in Paris after concluding the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and an official visit to Germany. Upon leaving Munich, representatives of the Bavarian State Government and Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken, among others, saw him off at the airport.

On the afternoon of June 21 local time, Li Qiang paid a visit to the Innovation Hub of Schneider Electric in Paris. Li Qiang listened to the introduction by Chairman of Schneider Electric Jean-Pascal Tricoire on the Group and its cooperation with China. He was also given a tour of such representative products as smart robots and the “open automation” platform, and made a video link to the Group’s Normandy factory to learn about its future development plans. Li Qiang expressed the hope that Schneider Electric will deepen its development in the Chinese market and continue to innovate on cooperation models. Noting that China has a large market, a full range of supporting facilities and many talents, he said investing in China will definitely bring rich returns. Jean-Pascal Tricoire said that Schneider Electric has been a witness, contributor and beneficiary of China’s reform and opening up, and that it is optimistic about China’s development, and will continue to invest in China and actively participate in China’s green infrastructure and the Belt and Road construction.

Wu Zhenglong, among others, attended the above events.