BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- China and France on Friday vowed to expand their three decades of nuclear energy cooperation to target markets in other countries.

"We agreed to jointly exploit third-party markets of nuclear energy.China hopes the two countries can find broader space in the markets," said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang while meeting reporters after his hour-long talks with visiting French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Li described their discussion as "candid and friendly."

Nuclear energy cooperation between China and France dates back to the early 1990s establishment of the Daya Bay nuclear power plant in south China's Guangdong Province. It has two 1,000 MW pressurized water reactors introduced from France.

Departments and companies of the two countries also held a seminar to mark China-France nuclear energy cooperation on Friday afternoon.

Besides nuclear energy, the two leaders told reporters that the two countries will further cooperate in areas including aviation, trade, investment, finance, food, agricultural products, health, automobile manufacturing and sustainable development.

Li said the two sides will co-pilot sustainable development schemes, and combine their respective advantages of capital, technology, markets, experience and demands. An eco-friendly city program of sustainable development in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, will be an example in this regard and get corporate efforts from the two countries.

Ayrault echoed Li, saying France hopes the two countries can promote the program with concrete actions, and he will visit Wuhan and learn about this program in his China tour.

He added the two countries have scored substantive results in food and agricultural joint work.

"Chinese consumers will soon taste French pork and other products. I am also looking forward to seeing bilateral cooperation in health and pharmaceuticals," Ayrault said.

The leaders also reached consensus to expand bilateral cultural exchanges. The two countries will hold concerts, exhibitions and film festivals in the next year to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties.

"China and France are both important representatives of diversity of civilization. These activities will help mutual understanding between the two peoples, and communication between the two civilizations," according to Li.

The Chinese premier also voiced appreciation for France's decision to shorten the visa processing time for Chinese citizens to two days, saying this will facilitate personnel engagement, tourism, trade and investment between the two countries.

Ayrault welcomed more Chinese tourists to visit France and promised to simplify the visa processing procedure.

On China-Europe relations, Li called on France to play a constructive role in the negotiation of China-Europe investment agreement, and urge the EU to uphold free trade and be cautious in taking trade remedy measures, so as to maintain the sound development of China-Europe relations.

"China hopes the EU will not start an investigation into China's wireless telecom products," he noted.