Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on Monday called for more exchanges between Chinese and French young people.
"China-French ties have long played a leading role in China's relations with Europe and the west, and the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership has entered a new era," said Li when meeting with attendees of the fourth China-France young leaders' forum.
Li said he hoped the two sides will make the most of the opportunities, align their respective development strategies and foster new bright spots and new engines in pragmatic cooperation of various fields.
He called on young people of both countries to step up communication and aid the development of bilateral relations.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French prime minister, expressed his willingness to help promote people-to-people exchanges to deepen ties.
The forum is co-hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and the France China Foundation. The first forum was held in France in late August 2013.