Business issues top Chirac’s China visit
AFP, Beijing
Business opportunities in one of the world's fastest-growing economies dominated the agenda as French President Jacques Chirac continued his visit to China, but sensitive political issues also edged their way onto the program. Greeted by his hosts as a "true friend" of the Chinese people, the French leader met Sunday with Premier Wen Jiabao and top legislator Wu Bangguo, formally the number two and three in the country's political system. Highlighting the wish to boost economic ties, Wu had met the day before with Serge Tchuruk, chairman and chief executive officer of telecom equipment maker Alcatel. "China will continue to support Alcatel's mutually beneficial cooperation in China, expected to create a new stage for the company's further development," Wu told Tchuruk, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. A series of business deals were announced over the weekend, including contracts for French industrial giant Alstom for the sale of locomotives and trains to China worth up to 1.0 billion euro (1.23 billion dollars). Airbus Industries announced an order for six Airbus A-319. But no deals were announced for the new Airbus A380 superjumbo, contrary to expectations in some quarters. No deal was announced about a potential sale of French nuclear reactors to China, but according to China Central Television Hu said China "hoped to deepen cooperation in aviation, transportation and nuclear energy." While a thick blanket of smog covering Beijing on Sunday caused the cancelation of a French airshow, Chirac's visit was only partly clouded by political issues. During talks with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, Chirac had presented a list of about a dozen individual cases to which France wanted to draw attention, his spokesman Jerome Bonnafont said Sunday. "Chirac wants to act discreetly," said Bonnafont. "He believes this is a more efficient way."
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