Officials, experts and business leaders from China and France gathered in Yunnan province over the weekend to explore opportunities for cooperation in technology and innovation between the two countries.

The 2026 China-France Young Leaders Program, which opened in Kunming on Friday, included visits to Pu'er and the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture. The event was co-organized by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the France China Foundation.

Nicolas Macquin, president of the France China Foundation, said the organization has long been committed to promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, with the goal of strengthening ties between French businesses and universities, and their counterparts in Yunnan.

Wu Ken, president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, said the program would serve as a catalyst for greater exchanges and interactions between Chinese and French youth, helping to deepen practical cooperation across various sectors and further strengthen bilateral friendship.

Technology and innovation emerged as key topics among participants. Thomas Mulhaupt, executive director of the France Asia Foundation, said France and China complement each other well in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence.

He said France has the capacity to produce outstanding engineers and foster startups within an integrated ecosystem, making it an attractive destination for technological innovation.

At the same time, there is much to learn from China's leading companies, startups and universities, which cultivate a large number of exceptional engineers every year, he added.

"We've witnessed the emergence of Chinese companies like Deep-Seek, which are making significant strides in the AI race," Mulhaupt said.

Emmanuel Miquel, head of Buyout France, shared a similar view, highlighting how innovation cooperation represents a particularly promising avenue for China-France collaboration.

"China has introduced many innovations that have accelerated industrial development. This is evident in the automotive sector, where an increasing number of BYD vehicles can be seen across Europe," Miquel said.

He added that France also excels in innovation across a wide range of industries, including the food and automotive sectors.

Agathe Graviere, program manager at the France Asia Foundation, noted that Chinese innovations are playing an increasingly prominent role on the global stage and urged that France work more closely with China to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.

"We can begin with student exchanges, allowing French and Chinese students to explore and learn from each other. This could be followed by collaborations between companies from both countries to jointly develop cutting-edge technologies," she said.

Representatives from both countries said that, in addition to technology and innovation, China and France can also strengthen cooperation in agriculture and rural development.

Marion Bertagna, vice-president of the France China Foundation, said that during the visit to Pu'er, she was particularly interested in learning how the city promotes rural vitalization through tourism development. "This approach to economic development is truly worth learning from," she said.

Contact the writers at yanyj@chinadaily.com.cn