On March 14, Dai Zhen, Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province, met in Haikou with Sylvain Fourriere, Consul General of France in Guangzhou.

The two sides exchanged views on their joint preparation for the 2nd China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) and the further cooperation between Hainan and France.

Dai said that with the support of the French embassy and consulates in China in recent years, Hainan and France have carried out pragmatic cooperation in various fields. Fourriere's two visits to Hainan within three months reflected the Consulate General's interest in promoting Hainan-French cooperation. During the recently concluded 2022 Two Sessions, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stated in the government work report that China will pursue higher-standard opening up. Hainan, as a pacesetter for China's opening up, will bring broad prospects for the development of French enterprises. Dai suggested that the two sides take the opportunity of France as the guest country of honor at the 2nd CICPE to further cooperation in areas including education, agriculture, tourism, health care, ecology and urban construction.

Fourriere introduced the current development of French companies in Hainan. He said that French companies are showing intense interest in the Hainan Free Trade Port, and looking forward to learning more about its long-term planning and specific policies. The Consulate General will work with the Foreign Affairs Office to jointly promote the cooperation between the two sides.

During his stay in Hainan, Fourriere also visited Sanya.