On the eve of my trip to Southeast Asia, I spoke today with President Xi Jinping about our trade relations and key international issues. I reaffirmed France’s desire to continue building a strong economic relationship with China. In this regard, Chinese investments are welcome in France. Our companies must therefore benefit from fair competition conditions in both our countries. This is a key point. We agreed to move forward as quickly as possible on the issue of cognac, which is essential for our producers. We share the same objective regarding the war waged by Russia in Ukraine: a lasting and robust peace. It begins with an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. We must also make progress toward a political solution capable of ensuring peace and security for all in the Middle East. We will work with China to prepare the Conference on Two-State Solution, scheduled for June in New York, which France is co-chairing with Saudi Arabia. I also welcomed the confirmation of high-level Chinese participation in the United Nations Ocean Conference.