Raffarin supports ideas of president

Former French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has offered his support for President Xi Jinping's big idea that increasing cooperation between nations is the only way to solve the world's problems.

The elder statesman, who is a regular visitor to China, believes Xi's concept of "a community with a shared future for mankind" offers hope for those who fear a return to 1930s-style protectionism.

"This primary objective laid out by Xi Jinping, which is a community for the future of humanity, is something that we all can share," he said.