Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna agreed on the need to “develop an economic relationship that is both stronger and more balanced,” after they met on Wednesday.

Qin said China stands ready to work with France and other countries to make the pie of cooperation bigger and share development opportunities.

But Colonna reminded her counterpart "that China had an important role to play in convincing Russia to return to full compliance with the UN Charter, in particular the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine", her ministry said in a statement.

Qin said the two sides should strengthen cooperation in international affairs and work together to address global challenges, including the Ukraine crisis.

"China is committed to promoting a political solution to the crisis, maintains communication with all parties and will continue to play a constructive role in that regard," Qin said. (Reuters/Xinhua)