Key figures address global challenges

China opportunities

The political figures hailed the dramatic changes that have taken place since China implemented reform and opening-up in 1978 and said the country's rapid development presents opportunities for the world.

Sharaf said he was impressed with China's breathtaking changes in the past 40 years, particularly in reducing poverty.

In that time, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of penury, accounting for an estimated 70 percent reduction of global poverty. It was the first developing country to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (the eight international development goals for the year 2015 established following the Millennium Summit of the UN in 2000) ahead of target. Meanwhile, the country has vowed to eradicate abject poverty nationwide before the end of 2020.

China's success can be attributed to the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, Sharaf said, adding that he hoped that China, as the world's second-largest economy, could play a bigger role in international affairs.

Komorowski said these "incredible changes" mean not only an increase of wealth for the Chinese people, but also the rise of the nation's status on the international stage. China needs to consider how to exert its influence to benefit the world, he added.

He said the "16+1" cooperation framework is a good model for countries of different size, adding that it helps to invigorate China-Europe ties through dialogue and partnership. (The '16+1' framework refers to different mechanisms and arrangements between China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries that were formed after then premier Wen Jiabao's historic visit to Poland in 2012.)

Sharaf highlighted the traditional friendship and cooperation between China and Africa in past years. He said the even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future that Xi proposed at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September and the eight major initiatives for cooperation in coming years will bring vast changes to Africa.

Mo Jingxi and Zhou Jin contributed to the story.