PARIS, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron outlined three principles for reinforcing the relationship between France and Asia in his speech on Friday at the Elysee to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Asian culture.
Before hundreds of representatives from the Asian community in France, the president prioritized regularity and consistency in efforts to enhance the strategic relationship.
"I mentioned it at the beginning of the year, saying that I will go to China every year, I think regularity must not decline at all levels by creating consistency in bilateral relations," he said.
The president said that he would often visit Asia not only in the capitals but also in provinces and he would also ensure that there was a systematic follow-up of the results to make progress each time.
Diversification of partnerships is the second principle of his Asian policy. According to Macron, rather than merely developing ties with the Asia Pacific giants China, India and Japan, France must also strengthen relations with Indonesia, Australia and South Korea.
"The third principle will be the renewal of concepts of people's ideas. We are sometimes locked in a form of laziness in the way of thinking our relations with Asia. France is changing and yet I have sometimes seen this -- the image of France remains locked in its own past," said the president.
"We must make France more known as a land of innovation... and not only Paris, but also our regions, cities, villages and countryside," he continued.
According to the president, it is essential to make Asia and France know each other better.
