Vice-Premier Liu Yandong was present at the opening ceremony of the China-France health strategic cooperation seminar on Sept 18, 2014, and delivered a speech during the launch ceremony of the China-France high-level cultural and educational exchange mechanism.

Liu spoke highly of bilateral health exchange and cooperation and said that health cooperation is an important part of the bilateral high-level cultural and educational exchange mechanism. Liu added that the effective bilateral cooperation in public hospital reform, hospital infection control and prevention, biological medicine research and development, and emerging infectious disease prevention and control has improved the health of the two countries and promoted exchanges between medical staff on both sides. Afterward, Liu gave a brief introduction to the meeting delegates of the achievements and challenges in deepening medical and health system reform in China. Liu expressed the hope that the two sides can make use of the high-level cultural exchange mechanism as a platform to further deepen bilateral pragmatic cooperation in global health, research and development of traditional Chinese medicine and biological medicine, and emerging infectious diseases; to help medical staff of the two countries become persistent supporters, builders and beneficiaries of friendly cooperation between China and France; and to forge close and lasting bilateral comprehensive strategic partnerships.

The health strategic cooperation seminar was jointly hosted by the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the French social affairs, health and woman’s benefit department. More than 80 people attended the meeting, including Wang Guoqiang, deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission; Zhai Jun, Chinese ambassador in France and minister and vice-minister of the French social affairs, health and woman’s benefit department; and Alain Merieux, president of the Fondation Merieux.

During the visit to France, Liu also went to see Biomerieux’s scientific research center and the P4 high-level biosafety lab. Liu witnessed the signing of a strategic cooperation MOU between the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pasteur Institute, the Fondation Merieux and the French National Centre for Scientific Research.