PARIS -- The Chinese path to modernization, a model adapted to the realities of China, is "important and must be respected," Pierre Laurent, vice-president of the French Senate, has said.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is "extremely important" not only for China and the Chinese people, but also for the whole world, as China has taken a major role in the international community after decades of development, said Laurent, also president of the National Council of the French Communist Party, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Among the efforts the human society has made, China has managed to find a new way suited to its own situation, Laurent said, adding that this political choice "bore its fruits" with the policy of reform and opening-up, and then the efforts to speed up the country's development.

During his mandate as the national secretary of his party between 2010 and 2018, Laurent made two visits to China in 2011 and 2016 and was greatly impressed by the spectacular progress China had made within the five years.

"In the past decade, what is obviously striking when you visit China is the path (China) traveled to get the country out of poverty, and to put itself on the path of development by fulfilling the objectives that were set to make it a moderately prosperous society, as the Chinese leaders and the Communist Party of China proclaim," Laurent said.

Speaking of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping's initiatives to promote world peace and development and to build a human community with a shared future, Laurent said that France and other countries in the world could also take actions to move forward these initiatives.

Such major global challenges as food and energy security and social development "must be solved through multilateralism and in respect for all nations," Laurent stressed.

The development of capitalism over the past century and a half has caused serious pollution on the planet. "So we will have to invent other economic models, and we will have to invent a fairer world order, with more sharing, more respect for all continents," he said.

China will play a major role in the global movement that allows for the development of all, he added.

Regarding the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative proposed by China, Laurent said that France and Europe should be attentive to these initiatives "to discuss the conditions for a new, fairer world order which will make it possible to solve the major issues of humanity."

France was one of the first major Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, Laurent recalled.

"The Europeans, the French and the Chinese can talk together about development in Africa, Asia and other continents of the world, and can talk about a multilateralism that respects all nations and all continents," he said.