China welcomes more EU participation in Chinese urbanization

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at 2015 EU-China urbanization partnership forum in Brussels, Belgium June 29, 2015. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

BRUSSELS - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday welcomed European Union (EU) participation in China's urbanization process, especially in smart city building and energy efficiency.

Li made the call at a forum on the China-EU urbanization partnership in the Belgian capital. He arrived Sunday for the 17th China-EU leaders' meeting.

Addressing the forum, Li said industrialization and urbanization are "twins" of modernization. China has made outstanding achievements in urbanization in the past three decades of rapid industrial progress.

Despite an urbanization rate of 54.77 percent by 2014, up from 17.92 percent in 1978, China still faces a number of problems, said Li. A new type of people-oriented urbanization process featuring harmonious and inclusive cities will be the solution, he said.

By 2020, 100 million Chinese migrant farm workers are to settle down in cities; 100 million farmers will be encouraged to move to nearby cities in central and western China; 100 million people will have better living conditions in cities through reconstruction of run-down areas and unsafe buildings, said the premier.

"This will stimulate consumption and investment, which will create momentum for China's growth and modernization and provide new opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe."

Li stressed that China's urbanization is the largest ever in the history of mankind and that China should learn from Europe's rich experience in its hundreds of years of urbanization process. Twelve city partnerships have been forged within the framework of the China-EU urbanization partnership, he said.

He urged both sides to enhance cooperation in smart city design, to promote core technology development and the application of standards.