France should seek to deepen cooperation with Chinese industrial and technology sectors where China has grown into a global giant, said French scholars ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China. Macron is scheduled to pay a three-day state visit to China from December 3 to 5. It will be his fourth state visit to China and a reciprocal visit to President Xi Jinping's historic state visit to France last year that marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Sacha Courtial, an EU-China associate researcher at the Jacques Delors Institute, a European think tank, said that China's rapid rise in technology and advanced manufacturing marks a seismic shift with major consequences for Europe. "So we have seen an increasing upgrading of the Chinese producing system from 20 years ago only a manufacturer of goods of low quality to now a dominant capacity on high level, high value chain producing goods and services. And this of course creates challenges for Europe and for France because we see many private companies that before were dominant on the global scale and now are challenged by some of Chinese private companies, such as in the EVs (electric vehicles) for instance," he said. China accounted for more than 70 percent of global EV production in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency. Loic Harriet, director of the Eklore-ed School of Management in France, said that European countries including France are becoming increasingly dependent on Chinese products. "I like to tell my students this. Well, look at what you have on you now, on your table, on your desk, and so on. What is made in France? What is made in China? In fact, we have to be very pragmatic once again. Today, we are dependent on China," he said. For many in France, deeper cooperation is not only about economics, but about long-term diplomacy, cultural exchange and a recognition of China's growing role on the world stage. "Today France has a real chance to work with China, especially as cooperation with the United States has become complicated. I see a genuine opportunity to build long-term, cooperative, co-constructed partnerships with China based on mutual understanding," said Harriet. SHOTLIST: FILE: Paris, France - March 26-27, 2019 1. Various of Arc de Triomphe, national flag of France; FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown 2. Aerial shot of Tian'anmen Square, Chinese national flag; 3. Tian'anmen Rostrum, ornamental column; France - Recent 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sacha Courtial, EU-China associate researcher, Jacques Delors Institute: "So we have seen an increasing upgrading of the Chinese producing system from 20 years ago only a manufacturer of goods of low quality to now a dominant capacity on high level, high value chain producing goods and services. And this of course creates challenges for Europe and for France because we see many private companies that before were dominant on the global scale and now are challenged by some of Chinese private companies, such as in the EVs (electric vehicles) for instance."; FILE: Paris, France - May 6, 2024 5. Various of Elysee Palace; French national flag; Pau, France - Recent 6. SOUNDBITE (French) Loic Harriet, director, Eklore-ed School of Management (partially overlaid with shot 7): "I like to tell my students this. Well, look at what you have on you now, on your table, on your desk, and so on. What is made in France? What is made in China? In fact, we have to be very pragmatic once again. Today, we are dependent on China."; FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 7. Various of Tian'anmen Square, Chinese national flag; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Paris, France - April 28, 2024 8. Eiffel Tower; Pau, France - Recent 9. SOUNDBITE (French) Loic Harriet, director, Eklore-ed School of Management (partially overlaid with shot 10): "Today France has a real chance to work with China, especially as cooperation with the United States has become complicated. I see a genuine opportunity to build long-term, cooperative, co-constructed partnerships with China based on mutual understanding."; FILE: Paris, France - 2015 [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 10. Various of French National Assembly building; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Paris, France - April 28, 2024 11. Traffic. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]