Presidents of France and China Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping have urged to expand cooperation between China and the European Union, amid the growing uneasiness in Europe in connection with Beijing’s investments, AFP reported.

Speaking at the Élysée Palace after his talks with Xi, Macron called for “a strong partnership between Europe and China.”

The Chinese president, for his part, stressed that his country will “always support European integration and development.”

Subsequently, more than a dozen deals were signed between France and China, in several domains. 

The total value of the signed agreements is about $40 billion.