France says economic disengagement from China is impossible

He said this on Sunday at the French Embassy in Beijing, AFP reports.

"We are totally opposed to the idea of decoupling. Decoupling is an illusion," Le Maire said.

In his opinion, today there is no possibility for any separation between the American, European and Chinese economies.

At the same time, the minister also noted that the concept of risk reduction, which has been popular in the West in recent months, does not mean that China is a risk.

"Risk reduction means that we want to be more independent... We don't want to realise, as we realised during the COVID-19 crisis, that we are too dependent on some very specific components," he said, citing the dependence of countries on microchip and semiconductor manufacturers as an example.

It is known that Le Maire's statement came amidst the ongoing efforts of some Western countries to reduce their economic dependence on China, in particular Germany, which considers China to be its main trading partner and a key market for its automotive industry.

In addition, it adds that the US is also in favour of reducing risks from China, although US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a visit to Beijing earlier this month that it was virtually impossible to separate the US and Chinese economies.

China, meanwhile, has criticised Western efforts to reduce risks, with Premier Li Keqiang last month calling the concept a mistake.

Le Maire is in China for economic talks and the day before, together with Vice Premier He Lifeng, held the ninth high-level Sino-French economic and financial dialogue.

During the event, Beijing and Paris showed their readiness to strengthen bilateral political communication, deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and finance, and enhance coordination in international affairs.

On Thursday, 27 July, Japan and France launched the first-ever joint fighter jet exercise as part of a strengthened security partnership amid China's growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.