In his meeting with French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault on Tuesday, Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong said the two countries have enjoyed friendly relationship for a long time and good cooperation in many fields.

He said Shanghai is the sister city of Marseilles and Rhone-Alpes Region. Many French companies participated in Shanghai’s development after the city adopted the reform and opening policies.

After three years of development, the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone has made great achievements in investment, foreign trade and financial reform, creating opportunities for companies around the world, including France, Yang said, pledging that Shanghai will further open up and create good business environment in line with international rules and practices.

The mayor said Shanghai is accelerating its transformation into a global innovation center. This yields new opportunities for cooperation between universities, research institutes and companies in both countries, particularly in areas of pharmaceuticals, aerospace, culture and education.

Ayrault said Shanghai is a beautiful and dynamic city. It has more French nationals and French companies than any other Chinese cities. He is glad to see many French companies have R&D centers in Shanghai and ready to invest more in them. This shows they are confident about the city’s future development.

Ayrault said France and China have huge potentials for cooperation. His country hopes to strengthen cooperation with Shanghai in urban construction, health, culture and arts.

French Ambassador to China Maurice Gourdault-Montagne was present at the meeting.

Source: Shanghai FTZ Government.cn