Prodi said that the challenge of urbanization is contingent on the new leaders' determination to reduce provincial differences across China, adding that the disparity in incomes between large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and less developed areas such as Guizhou and Gansu province, are substantial.

"This great movement toward urbanization must be completed by a process of greater equality of income across different regions," he said.

The rapid pace of urbanization has imposed huge pressures on Chinese cities and their infrastructures, according to the European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potocnik. However, the move offers a unique opportunity to improve the lives of the future city dwellers, or "urban billion". As the 2010 Shanghai Expo put it, to create a "Better City, Better Life".

"One of the most important lessons we have learned in Europe is that cutting air pollution does not necessarily mean cutting economic growth," said Potocnik, who added that it is definitely possible to decouple economic growth from pollution growth.

For Potocnik, that realization is an important starting point for any country considering policies to tackle poor air quality: "The measures being taken by the Chinese authorities to reduce vehicle emissions are very similar to our policies in Europe, and we have cooperated in this area for many years by sharing expertise and best practices."

As part of that cooperation, Europe and China have become strategic partners in the promotion of sustainable urbanization, a point emphasized when Li Keqiang and Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, signed the Joint Declaration on Urbanization in May 2012.

Environmental issues

Jean-Marie Le Guen, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly, said China's new leaders have the experience to meet the challenges facing them.

Le Guen said he had noticed that Xi Jinping has already forged a strong relationship with the people, one that will generate trust and hope, and that France welcomes the Chinese government's intention of boosting internal consumption.

"We believe it is a necessary step in satisfying the needs of the Chinese people in terms of education and healthcare, while maintaining sustained growth over the long term," he said.

The environmental issue also should be one of the main concerns for the future. France is very willing to cooperate with China to mutually point their economies in the direction of sustainability. "Given its unquestionably central role in international relations, we are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration with China, so that it can fully play its role in a peaceful and constructive environment," said Le Guen.

China's economy is now so deeply entwined with the rest of the world, and the US in particular, that the country's economic influence, through global investment, the internationalization of the renminbi and the rise of the domestic market, can only be expected to grow during the coming years, according to Peter Ho, professor of Chinese economy and development at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

"With that economic rise, there will be an increase in political, social, and cultural influence as well," he said.

Ho said there are numerous, almost daily, examples on weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, and other social media, where instances of corruption and social inequity are highlighted and go viral almost instantaneously. "From these cases we can clearly see that China is undergoing a fundamental normative change. As such, a change in the style of governance is imperative for China's long-term, stable development. The other side of this story is that we should never forget that socioeconomic and political changes take a long time to take effect, and China will be no exception."

China will always walk a tightrope in this regard; the country needs to change and respond to calls for change, but it also needs to change in accordance with the possibilities determined by time and place, he said.

China's leaders have also been urged to engage with the rest of the world. Van Rompuy said he had already met Xi and Li before their elevation to the highest office, and they exchanged views on a wide-ranging agenda, but particularly on global issues.

"I appreciated Xi Jinping's knowledge of the EU's way of working and his clear support for the improvement of the EU-China Strategic Partnership," said Van Rompuy, who noted that at his meeting with Li Keqiang, the two men shared the opinion that the EU and Chinese economies are so closely intertwined that cooperation is essential to promote growth and jobs.

"As China continues to develop and emerge as an economic power, its political role assumes an even more important significance in today's world," said Van Rompuy, adding that the EU has constantly supported China's transition toward the role of an active and responsible global player.

Economic imbalances, climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation and food security are just a few of the challenges that will require coordinated global cooperation. "China has a key role to play within the international community in addressing them. Increased power goes hand in hand with increased responsibility," said Van Rompuy, "I am looking forward to working together with the new Chinese leadership."