The international community took a keen interest in the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the election of a new CPC central leadership in the belief that there will be a further rise in China's international standing.

Major North European media outlets on November 16 provided in-depth coverage of the conclusion of the 18th CPC National Congress and the debut of new CPC leaders. They also gave an account of the inaugural speech of Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. An article in Svenska Dagbladet said as a large, fast-developing country, China always conjures up a vigorous image. The Swedish newspaper also profiled the seven newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee including Xi.

Danish newspaper Berlingske carried reports on the 18th CPC National Congress for several days in a row in a special column, saying the stable top leadership transition of the CPC was of extraordinary importance. In an interview with Berlingske, Danish Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal said the Danish Government is confident that China's international influence will continue to rise and the political dialogue between Denmark and China will become deeper and more active with the new CPC leaders at the helm.

Luxemburg's parliament speaker, Laurent Mosar, said the 18th CPC National Congress was important for China's future development. Chinese leaders will continue to push for modernization and China is on track to better development, he said, adding that Luxemburg pays close attention to all developments in China. He said he believed China's efforts to promote progress in political, economic, social, cultural and ecological fields conform to the rules of development in a modern society. Luxemburg is willing to strengthen cooperation in ecological conservation with China, he added.

Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, said the outcome of the 18th CPC National Congress and the election of a new CPC central leadership were of great importance not only to China, but also to Europe and the world. China is a big country in Asia and the world's second largest economy. It is impossible to solve major international problems without China's participation, he said. Eric de la Maisonneuve, President of the Society of Strategy in France, said the CPC's new leaders will be more efficient. The smile of the new leaders showed China's confidence and gave people in China and other parts of the world a picture of an enthusiastic country. He said he believed China will stick to its basic policies while seeking incremental progress in keeping with its cultural traditions. China will play a more important role in international affairs, he added.

French newspaper L'Humanité dubbed the 18th CPC National Congress "a big step forward," saying the congress showcased China's confidence in its accelerating reform and opening up. A report on the website of Le Point magazine said a prominent feature of the new leaders is their relatively younger ages. Mainstream Italian media ran lengthy reports on November 16 covering the conclusion of the 18th CPC National Congress and the media debut of the seven members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The Corriere della Sera newspaper said Xi wore a smile throughout the event, which showed his confidence.