Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao meets with former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and attendees of the Fourth China-France Young Leaders Program in Beijing on September 19 (XINHUA) 

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao and former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin agreed that young people should take the lead in promoting deeper understanding between the two nations. They met with representatives attending the Fourth China-France Young Leaders Program at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 19.

China and France need not only to foster friendship and cooperation, but also to nurture even closer collaboration in projects, talent, capital and wisdom oriented toward the future, and the program serves this purpose well, said Li.

Raffarin praised the forum for providing a platform for younger people to understand each other's culture and civilization better and adapt to a new stage of China-France exchanges. He said he looks forward to seeing young people from the two countries work together, inspire each other, and design new cooperation projects for the future.

Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao (center) and Emmanuel Lenain (second left), Director for Asia and Oceania at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, also a co-founder of the France China Foundation, with some members of the Fourth China-France Young Leaders Program (FRANCE CHINA FOUNDATION ) 

The Fourth China-France Young Leaders Program convened in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and Beijing on September 15-19. More than 40 professionals, selected for their political, economic, military or cultural expertise, exchanged ideas and experiences under the theme of Heritage and Innovation.

The forum was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the France China Foundation.

Copyedited by Dominic James Madar

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