China plays key role in fighting climate change: French PM

China plays a key role in addressing global warming, and Beijing and Paris would act together toward a binding protocol at the UN climate conference in Paris in December 2015, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.

In a written interview with Xinhua prior to his visit to China, Valls said China has already made a step in committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris climate conference will be the main subject for which French and Chinese leaders will mobilize all forces, the French premier said, adding that China has an important role to play for the conference's success.

"Climate change is the biggest challenge facing our society. An ambitious agreement that preserves the future of the planet should be signed at the end of the conference to limit global warming," Valls said.

He stressed the importance of cooperation in other fields.

China and France have had remarkable cooperation in aeronautics and car making, he said, taking the assembly line of Airbus in Tianjin, northern China, as an example.

The assembly line showed that China and France "can do better together in innovation, in co-production, in high technology," Valls said.

Speaking of tourism, Valls said France, the world's top tourist destination, has an ambitious goal to welcome each year 5 million Chinese holiday-makers by 2020.

"More and more Chinese tourists want to discover our country, so we take measures to facilitate their arrival by accelerating visa procedures and reinforcing security," said Valls.

"France is more than ever open to China, its investors, students and tourists," he said.

He also noted that France wants more Chinese investments. "Thanks to reforms we have made, France wants to be more competitive and attract more Chinese investors."

Valls said that both countries have to outline a roadmap for future bilateral cooperation to address common issues, such as green growth, sustainable urban development and the aging of the population.