The fourth mid-session of High-Level China-France on Local Government Cooperation with the theme of Innovative Development of Cities was jointly held by CPAFFC, Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation of French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and French League of Cities in Chengdu, China on 21th October, 2013.

President Li Xiaolin attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. She said that with the rapidly development of urbanization, the whole world had faced with all kinds of problems in different degrees, such as urban population expansion, excessive consumption of resources, environmental pollution and traffic jam. In order to resolve the problems, the local governments between China and France should make joint efforts to develop new measures and methods of realizing sustainable development of cities, so as to promote the development quality of the cities.
President Li also expressed that the local cooperation was an important part of the new comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Up to now, 81 pairs of friendship cities and regions have been established, so as to lay a solid foundation of the relationship between the two countries. Next year was the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and France, CPAFFC would take this opportunity to promote the cooperation of the two countries to reach a new height.

Wei Hong, Governor of Sichuan Province, Jacques Valade, Ambassador at-large of Asian affairs of France, Jean Paul Bachy, Vice-president of the Association of Regions of France attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches respectively. More than 150 representatives from 36 governments of provinces, districts and cities, organizations and enterprises were present at the mid-session. The representatives made in-depth discussion and communication on the three topics of economic development and industrial competition, university research innovation and cooperation, sustainable development of tourism.
During the session, the both sides made a decision that the Fourth High-Level China-France Forum on Local Government Cooperation will be held in Strasbourg of Alsace regional, France in November,2014.