China's top legislator meets with French president

BEIJING - China's top legislator said Friday that China and France should strengthen communication between their legislatures to reinforce the basis of social and public opinion on bilateral ties.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with visiting French President Francois Hollande in the Great Hall of the People on Friday morning.

Zhang said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hollande reached important consensus during their meeting on Thursday.

He said the meeting between the two countries' heads of state has set the orientation of bilateral links and will advance the relationship toward even greater growth.

In recent years, China has made remarkable achievements in the development of democratic and legal systems, Zhang said, adding that China has developed a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics and realized that there are laws to follow in all aspects of national and social life.

The new NPC Standing Committee will stick to governance by law and earnestly safeguard the authority of the Constitution and law, he said.

The legislator said the NPC is ready to strengthen friendly contact with the French parliament by giving full play to the regular exchange mechanism.

Hollande said France has full confidence in further developing the comprehensive and strategic partnership between France and China.

The French president also expressed the hope that the parliaments of the two countries will boost cooperation.