France supports stronger role of China's RMB: PM

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (R) shakes hands with Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai in Paris, France, on Sept 15, 2014. French Prime Minister Manual Valls on Monday met with Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai during the 2nd China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue in Paris. (Xinhua/Chen Xiaowei)

French Prime Minister Manual Valls on Monday met with Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai during the 2nd China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue in Paris.

Speaking highly of the relations between the two countries, Valls said Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to France in March this year is of great significance for promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership and deepening pragmatic cooperation between France and China.

Noting that the two countries have maintained good and healthy cooperation in aviation, civilian nuclear energy, automobile manufacturing, tourism, Valls voiced the hope that the two sides could expand their cooperation into new areas such as finance, urbanization, healthcare and agricultural products.

France, he added, supports a stronger role of China's yuan RMB in the international monetary system.

For his part, Ma said the China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue is an important cooperation mechanism which the two presidents decided to set up during French President Hollande' s visit to China last April.

The dialogue this year is designed to translate into reality important consensus reached by the two heads of state during Xi's visit to France this year, he said.

Finance and taxation has become the new highlight of bilateral ties, and cooperation in civilian nuclear energy and car manufacturing has made huge progress, Ma added, expressing hopes that the two sides could maintain a sound momentum of high-level exchanges, enhance political mutual trust, and advance pragmatic cooperation.

Ma and French Minister of Finance Michel Sapin jointly hosted the 2nd China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue Monday morning.

France and China, Ma said, are both in a crucial period of economic transition and structural reforms, and that the strengthening in communication in macroeconomic policy would help further expand the breadth and depth of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.