PARIS, July 1, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong speaks at the third meeting of the China-France High-level Mechanism for Dialogue on People-to-People Exchanges held in Paris, France, June 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)
PARIS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault have agreed to take steps to further enhance people-to-people exchanges between China and France.
The two senior officials made the agreement when jointly chairing the third meeting of the China-France High-level Mechanism for Dialogue on People-to-People Exchanges here on Thursday.
The mechanism has developed steadily since its establishment, with broader cooperation in more creative and diversified forms as well as fruitful results, Liu said.
Liu said that the mechanism has become a third pillar mechanism to promote China-France ties, following the China-France Strategic Dialogue and the China-France High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue.
Liu said that cooperation and friendship between China and France requires active engagement between the two peoples.
The two sides should gather the wisdom of the two peoples to further their participation in people-to-people exchanges, in order to make it an institutionalized and long-term mechanism.
As measures to contribute to the new era of a close and long-lasting China-France comprehensive strategic partnership, Liu called on the two sides to elevate, expand and deepen bilateral people-to-people exchanges, and further enhance practical cooperation in education, science, culture, public health, sports, media and tourism, among others.
Ayrault said the France-China High-level Mechanism for Dialogue on People-to-People Exchanges has achieved a positive development and fruitful results.
It has become an important part of the France-China relations, he said.
He said the two sides should further promote people-to-people exchanges to achieve more results and bring more benefits to the peoples of the two countries.
Prior to the meeting, Liu and Ayrault held small-scale talks. After the meeting, a series of cooperation documents in the fields of culture, public health, education and media were signed with their presence.
They also signed a joint declaration.
