国内英语新闻:Top Chinese legislator calls for close Sino-Franco trade partnership

PARIS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Wu Bangguo, China's top legislator, said Friday that China and France should strengthen their cooperation and build a close, long-term and sustainable type of new economic and trade partnership.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of Chinese National People's Congress (NPC), who arrived in Paris on Wednesday for an eight-day official goodwill visit to France, gave a keynote speech at a business forum grouping at least 200 senior French and Chinese officials and business leaders in Paris.

In his speech, Wu reviewed the ties between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964.

Wu Bangguo (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, addresses the Chinese-French forum on economic and trade cooperation in Paris, capital of France, July 9, 2010.

He said the Sino-Franco comprehensive strategic partnership charted by Chinese President Hu Jintao and former French President Jacques Chirac in 2004 has turned "a new page" in bilateral relations.

"The Sino-Franco relations have formed a mutually-beneficial pattern that is all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-tiered, injecting vitality and energy to the comprehensive strategic partnership," Wu said.

"The trade volume between the two countries has reached 17.12 billion U.S. dollars in the first five months this year, a 40.3 percent increase on the year-on-year basis," Wu added.

France is at present China's fourth largest trading partner within the EU while China is France's biggest trading partner in Asia, he said.