On January 8, 2013, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang met with French Minister of Economy and Finance Pierre Moscovici in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai. Both sides exchanged in-depth views on the global economic situation, China-France cooperation and other issues.

Li said both developed countries and emerging economies are confronted with various economic difficulties. "They should work together to enhance mutual trust, reach a consensus and pool wisdom to tackle pressing challenges in economic and financial sectors," the vice premier said. He expressed the hope that France will continue to create conditions for high-tech exports to China. Li said he also hoped that France will promote the European Union to remove limits on high-tech exports to China.

Li pointed out that China has an unbalanced development. To narrow the gap between rural and urban areas and gaps between different regions are the requirement and strategic choice to realize modernization, which will tap huge development potential and have a long-lasting effect. China's move to promote new-type urbanization is a complicated systematic project and also a basic solution to the two gaps, Li said. He added the core is the urbanization of people and the key is to improve the quality of urbanization, break down the dual structure and promote development of modern agriculture, highlighting an ecological, energy-efficient and intensive way to realize urbanization. The vice premier recalled his visit to Europe last year, during which both sides signed the Joint Declaration on the EU-China Partnership on Urbanization. He said China hoped to work more closely with France and other highly urbanized European countries in ideas, technology and markets.

Moscovici said France would like to seek stronger relations with China and push bilateral economic cooperation.

Minister of Finance Xie Xuren and other officials attended the meeting.