China says it has agreed to bolster cooperation with France in maintaining multilateralism in global trade and combatting climate change.

The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement on Thursday after Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Beijing earlier in the day.

The meeting came against the background of protectionist policies of US President Donald Trump.

The two nations issued a joint statement marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The statement says both sides reiterate "the strong commitments to enhance international cooperation on climate change and uphold multilateralism, and the firm support for the Paris Agreement."

The legally binding pact's goal is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In an apparent reference to Trump's decision to pull the US out of the Paris accord, the statement says, "The regression of certain countries from scientific consensus and their withdrawal from multilateral institutions will only strengthen our determination and actions