France's Region Plays Bigger Role in Pushing Ties With China: Hu Jintao

Visiting Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao said here Friday that the French region of Rhone-Alps is playing a bigger role in pushing forward a comprehensive partnership between France and China.

Hu made the remarks during his separate meetings with Anne-Marie Comparini, president of the council of the Regional Rhone-Alps and Lyon's mayor, Gerard Collomb. Lyon, the second largest city in France, is located in the Rhone-Alps region.

Collomb said that Lyon and the region of Rhone-Alps have kept friendly relations with cities like Guangzhou and Shanghai in China with the economic, educational and cultural links becoming closer in recent years.

He stressed that Lyon pays great attention to the important role China plays on international stage and expects to strengthen the cooperative ties with China in the new century.

In response, Hu said that friendship between Lyon and China has a long history and plays an important role in Sino-French relationship, which, in recent years, developed in a good trend.

Regional exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have been very helpful in the trend.

Hu expressed his hope that cooperation between Lyon and his country will produce fruitful results constantly.

Earlier on Friday, Hu met with Comparini. During their meeting, Comparini expressed her willingness that effective cooperation with China in the areas of industry, science and technology and education will be intensified.

In 1986, Jiang Zemin, who was then the mayor of Shanghai and

now the Chinese president, signed a friendly cooperative agreement with the president of the council of the Rhone-Alps region and the friendly ties have been expanded ever since then, according to Hu.

He told Comparini that he hopes the French region will use its advantages to continue its contribution to the comprehensive Sino-French partnership.

Hu arrived here on Thursday after winding up his five-day official visit to Britain.






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