As a sign of the value that Beijing places on its ties with Paris, both Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met separately with him.

Li told Sejourne that Beijing expects the stability of China-France relations to contribute to the respective development of the two countries and “inject certainty into the world’s development”.

Beijing looks to deepen practical cooperation with Paris in conventional areas, as well as in green energy and advanced manufacturing, to “better realize mutual benefits and a win-win situation”, Li said.

The premier also talked with Sejourne about China-European Union economic and trade relations.

He expressed his hope that France will actively push the EU to follow the laws of economy and the rules of the market, and to properly address the concerns of both sides through consultation.

Sejourne said Paris adheres to independence and self-reliance, opposes bloc confrontation, economic decoupling and disruptions of production and supply chains, and firmly adheres to the one-China policy.

France is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields and promote greater development of the two nations’ comprehensive strategic partnership, he added.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.

As part of the recent and frequent high-level exchanges, Foreign Minister Wang met with Sejourne in Munich and visited France in February.

Analysts said the visit of the French foreign minister comes amid the chaos of the current international situation and rising divides in the global community, and the two countries, as major countries, should work together to be a stabilizer for the world.

Yu Jiang, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, noted that as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China and France have transcended bloc confrontation and are both committed to the “two-state solution” to the Palestine-Israel conflict.

“The two countries have contributed to the reform and construction of the global governance system, setting a model for exchanges and cooperation between countries with different historical backgrounds, cultural traditions and political systems,” Yu said.

Earlier on Monday, the two foreign ministers held talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and met with reporters on the sidelines.

At the media briefing, Wang announced that the two sides agreed to “build China-France relations to be more stable and foresighted in strategic perspective”.

Wang said Beijing and Paris agreed to play a leading role in four areas: international solidarity, innovative development, openness and win-win situations, and dialogue among civilizations.

“The two sides agreed to provide more convenience for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and to deepen cooperation in areas such as science, education, sports and cultural heritage preservation,” Wang said.

France is China’s third-largest trading partner within the European Union, and China is France’s top trading partner in Asia and seventh-largest in the world. In 2023, bilateral trade reached $78.9 billion.

China will create more convenience for enterprises from various countries, including France, and “it is also believed that France will provide a fair, just and predictable business environment for Chinese companies to invest in France”, Wang said.

Sejourne told Wang during their meeting that Paris advocates openness and cooperation. On economy and trade, France is committed to properly handling differences through consultation, he added.

When asked by a reporter about the EU’s seeking “de-risking “regarding China, Wang noted that this year, China and the EU have resumed interactions at all levels. He said cooperation in various fields is in full swing, “the EU’s rational knowledge of China is increasing, and its willingness to cooperate with China is increasing”.

“Some insightful minds in Europe are also soul-searching and believe that decoupling from China carries real risks,” he added.

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A  senior Department of State official said on Friday that “conditions are not right” for the visit that was set to start on Sunday due to the “irresponsible” balloon flight.

China has expressed regret for the balloon entering US airspace, describing it as a civilian airship used for meteorological research that “deviated far from its planned course” because of its “limited self-steering capability”. But the US administration said the aircraft was a “high-altitude surveillance balloon”.

“We have noted the PRC [People’s Republic of China] statement of regret, but the presence of this balloon in our airspace is a clear violation of our sovereignty as well as international law, and it is unacceptable that this has occurred,” the Department of State official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The official stressed that lines of communication remain open between Washington and Beijing as they seek to “responsibly manage” the intensifying competition between the two countries.

“Our clear assessment was that under these current conditions, it wouldn’t be constructive to visit Beijing at this time, but I’ll also reiterate that this is a postponement and the secretary [Blinken] plans to travel at the earliest appropriate opportunity when conditions allow,” the official said.

Ties between Beijing and Washington have soured over numerous points of tension in recent years, including trade issues, the status of Taiwan, claims to the South China Sea and an ongoing US push against growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The US has also been warning China against coming to Russia’s aid in Ukraine.

Blinken’s now-postponed trip was aimed at mitigating some of those tensions. It would have been the first visit by a US secretary of state to China since 2018 when then-top diplomat Mike Pompeo travelled to Beijing and met his counterpart but not President Xi Jinping.

US President Joe Biden met Xi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia late in 2022.

Both Chinese and US officials have stressed that they do not seek confrontation, warning against turning the competition into a new Cold War.

Reporting from the White House, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett said the balloon controversy would have overshadowed Blinken’s trip to China.

“There are already a lot of big issues to be discussed between these two nations… This would be overarching over all of them,” she said.

The balloon was first observed over the northern US state of Montana on Thursday. But the Pentagon said on Friday that it is now “over the centre of the continental United States” without specifying over which state exactly.

“We currently assess that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time, and we’ll continue to monitor and review options,” Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder told reporters.

He added that the balloon is flying well above civilian air traffic.

Ryder also dismissed the Chinese explanation that the balloon was a civilian aircraft for research. “The fact is: We know that it’s a surveillance balloon,” he said.

Several Republican members of the US Congress demanded answers and action from the Biden administration over the incident.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley called for a congressional hearing on the balloon, describing it as a “major domestic security threat”. Congressman Scott Fitzgerald welcomed Blinken’s decision to postpone his trip, but said “the administration must do much more to tell China that espionage will not be tolerated against the United States”.

Other lawmakers called on the Pentagon to bring down the balloon.

“Why won’t Biden shoot down the Chinese spy balloon that is currently flying over the United States? The Chinese Communist Party is a threat to our existence,” Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn wrote on Twitter.

US defence officials have said that debris from the aircraft could pose a threat to civilians on the ground if they shoot it down.

Democratic Senator Jon Tester, who represents Montana, called the balloon a “completely unacceptable” provocation.

“We are still waiting for real answers on how this happened and what steps the Administration took to protect our country, and I will hold everyone accountable until I get them,” Tester said in a statement.

Canada, which borders Montana and has frosty relations with China, said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador on Thursday over the incident.

“We will continue to vigorously express our position to Chinese officials through multiple channels,” the Canadian foreign ministry told Al Jazeera in an email.

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