Income goal to boost China-France co-op

China's goal to the double income of its residents by 2020 will substantially broaden the scope of cooperation between China and France, said a senior Chinese researcher on Friday.

"The income-doubling goal means that the potential of the Chinese domestic market is huge, and it will substantially broaden the fields where China and France can cooperate," said Chen Jin, vice-director of the Party Literature Research Center of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Chen was also a key member of the group that wrote President Hu Jintao's report at the opening of the 18th National Congress of the CPC in November. He led a delegation of Chinese researchers and scholars to France to introduce the key ideas and spirit of the congress.

The CPC, for the first time in its history, has set an ambitious goal to double not only the country's GDP but also the per capita income for urban and rural residents by 2020.

During its two-day visit in France, the Chinese delegation met with Jean-Pierre Raffarin, vice-president of the French Senate and former French prime minister, and Bruno Le Roux, president of the Socialist Group, at the French National Assembly.

The delegation also held talks with Jean Besson, president of the France-China Group of the Senate, and Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, secretary of the French Socialist Party for International Affairs.

"We saw a changing attitude of Western politicians toward the CPC. They want to know more about the Party instead of just being onlookers," Chen said.

China's efforts to address corruption and social inequality were major issues of interest for the French side, Chen added.

Zhou Yuyun, deputy director–general of the Research Office of the International Department of the Central Committee of CPC, said that the French gave "very positive comments" on China's new leadership.

Former French prime minister Raffarin expressed confidence in the new leaders of China and described Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, as professional and pragmatic with international vision, Zhou said.

Zhou pointed out that the CPC has set, for the first time, the goal of establishing a new type of relationship focusing on long-term stability and sound growth with other major countries in order to promote public diplomacy.

"This will have major implications on the future development of China's relations with France, a core country of the European Union and the fourth largest foreign investor of China," Zhou said.

The delegation held similar discussions with politicians in Germany earlier this week and will travel to Belgium next week.