Chinese vice premier meets former French PM

BEIJING, Dec. 5 -- Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai met with former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin in Beijing on Thursday.

Ma said that the Chinese economy has maintained stable growth, and the deepening of reform and opening-up and the adjustment of the economic structure would boost rapid growth of market demand, overseas investment and tourism.

He called on Chinese and French companies to seize opportunities to deepen cooperation in various areas and to benefit the two peoples.

Raffarin said he is committed to boosting exchanges and cooperation between entrepreneurs of both countries, and to facilitating greater progress in China-France trade links.

Raffarin was here to attend the 19th China-France economic seminar held earlier on Thursday by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.