On the evening of November 4, 2010, Chinese President Hu Jintao attended in Paris a welcome banquet given in his honor by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and delivered a speech.

France is a great nation. In its long history, the French people, with their intelligence and diligence, have built up a prosperous, rich and strong country, and made remarkable economic, scientific, and cultural achievements, making outstanding contributions to the human civilization and progress, said the Chinese president. In international affairs, France has long adhered to an independent foreign policy and actively pushed for the building of a multipolar world and maintenance of the diversity of civilizations, playing a positive role in promoting world peace and development. The development history of the China-France ties gives eloquent proof that countries of different ideologies, political systems and cultural backgrounds can coexist peacefully, carry out mutually beneficial cooperation and realize common development, as long as they respect and treat each other as equals.

Now, at a time when the international situation is undergoing profound and complicated changes and global challenges have become increasingly prominent, the two countries, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and members the Group of 20 (G20), have more common interests and broader cooperation prospect. Bilateral exchanges and cooperation in all areas also face new opportunities. China and France therefore should work together to add new content to their ties and exert a positive influence on the development of equal partnerships between big countries under new circumstances, Hu said. China is willing to make joint efforts with France to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation and boost their strategic coordination at a global level to better serve the two peoples and the whole world, Hu said. He said the two countries should work together to propel the development of international order in a fairer and more rational direction, and turn the 21st century into one of true peace, development and cooperation.

For his part, President Sarkozy said China's development in the last 30 years is the fastest and the greatest in human history and has attracted worldwide attention. Over the past three decades, China has been in the forefront of the world and has taken its due place in the family of nations. President Hu's visit to France shows the friendship and trust between the two countries, and reflects the unique vitality, richness and maturity of bilateral ties, he said. Both countries' comprehensive strategic partnership has provided a model for today's world and should be injected with new vitality, and the two sides should explore more development prospects, Sarkozy added. The cooperation between China and France is unique. France wants to know and understand China better, and is looking forward to establishing with China a win-win cooperative partnership, he said.

Ling Jihua, Wang Huning and Dai Bingguo attended the welcome banquet.