Wu Bangguo (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, meets with Jean-Jack Queyranne (L), president of the Rhone-Alpes Regional Council, in Lyon, France, July 11, 2010. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)
LYON, France, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator on Sunday met the chief lawmaker of the French Rhone-Alpes regional parliament to discuss inter-regional relations and cooperation.
Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), told Jean-Jack Queyranne, president of the Rhone-Alpes Regional Council, that the region's ties with China dated back long ago. Some Chinese revolutionaries of the old generation, such as Deng Xiaoping, came here to study.
The Rhone-Alpes region has also contributed to the development of China-France relations through fruitful exchanges and cooperation with many Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Suzhou, he said.
"The purpose of my visit is to further inter-regional development, enhance the people-to-people friendship and broaden the social and civil basis for state-to-state relations."
The NPC chief added that the Rhone-Alpes region has the expertise in ecological administration, environmental protection, energy conservation and emission reduction.
As China is in the process of economic restructuring, upgrading of industries and modifying the mode of development, this provided a new opportunity for deepening and broadening bilateral cooperation, Wu said.
