Wu Bangguo (2nd L), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, meets with Jean-Claude Gaudin, vice president of the French Senate and mayor of Marseilles, in Marseilles, France, July 13, 2010. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo)
Arriving in the French city of Marseilles on Monday after concluding his visit in Bordeaux, the NPC chairman continued to advocate the benefits of enhancing Sino-Franco cooperation at the local-level.
"I am visiting Marseille to push forward the cooperation at the regional level to a new stage," Wu said while meeting with Marseilles Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin on Tuesday.
Wu hoped Marseille would take the chance of the Shanghai Expo to strengthen cooperation with Shanghai on new energy and materials, public transportation and port construction to contribute to the Sino-Franco relations.
Gaudin said he is expected to cement cooperation with China in the scientific, educational, cultural and tourism areas.
Along Wu's trip in France, promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of big projects also tops the his agendas.
"The economic and trade cooperation between China and France is featured with a large number of big and technology-intensive projects in such fields as nuclear power exploration, aerospace and high-speed railway," said Wu while addressing a business forum grouping at least 200 senior French and Chinese officials and business leaders in Paris last Wednesday.