PARIS/BEIJING - French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang agreed on the need to “develop an economic relationship that is both stronger and more balanced”, the Foreign Ministry in Paris said after they met on Wednesday.

Mr Qin is visiting Germany, France and Norway this week, and met Ms Colonna in Paris.

The meeting followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China in April and came weeks after comments by China’s French ambassador about Ukraine sparked a diplomatic rift.

Ms 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.

Mr Qin said in a separate statement that the two countries should explore new areas of cooperation and build a more resilient transnational supply chain.

He added that China’s determination to promote high-quality development and a high-level opening-up is unswerving, and it is willing to work with France and other countries.

The Chinese foreign minister 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, Mr Qin said.

China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in Russia’s war against its neighbour, with President Xi Jinping last month holding his first telephone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky since Moscow’s invasion.

But recent comments by China’s ambassador to France questioning the sovereignty of former Soviet states threw its neutral stance into question, and Beijing’s 12-point position paper on ending the conflict was met with scepticism by the United States and Nato. REUTERS, AFP