China and France reached a three-billion-euro deal Thursday morning during French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's three-day official visit to Beijing.
Raffarin and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao witnessed the signing ceremony of the 20 cooperative agreements, which deal with aviation, nuclear energy and agriculture.
As part of the agreements, China promised to buy 30 Airbus planes, including five Airbus A380 and 25 A320 planes.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Wen and Raffarin held hour-long talks, agreeing to further political and economic ties.
Wen said both China and France are putting the bilateral ties in an prominent position in their foreign relations and making efforts to improve mutual political trust and strategic dialogue.
"China appreciates France's understanding and support to China on the Taiwan issue and EU's lift of arms embargo," he said.
Wen also said he was delighted with the fast growth of bilateral trade exchanges, close consultation in key international and regional issues and vibrant cultural exchanges.
He said China and France, which are both permanent members of the UN Security Council, should develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with a highly responsible attitude to world peace and development.
Wen suggested the two countries further bilateral friendship by focusing on four aspects: maintaining high-level visits and improving consultation and cooperation in the United Nations and other international organizations; expanding economic and trade cooperation by enforcing cooperation on energy, transportation, aviation, agriculture and environmental protection; maintaining bilateral cultural exchanges and improving judicature cooperation on the basis of mutual respect.
Raffarin, who visited China in 2003 amid SARS outbreak, highlighted the frequent high-level visits between the two sides, saying that different from the irregular contact between the two sides in the past, France and China now has realized continual and regular contact between the leaders of the two sides.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac exchanged visits in 2004. Raffarin said after his visit to China, Wen is scheduled to visit France later this year.
He said France is very optimistic about bilateral economic and trade relations and ready to improve cooperation with China on trade, energy, medium- and small-sized enterprises, culture and education.
Raffarin arrived in the Chinese capital Thursday morning. On Thursday noon, Raffarin also met Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong.
During his China tour, Raffarin will also visit Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, where he is expected to attend a symposium on economic and trade cooperation between the three northeast China provinces and France.
Also in the French prime minister's itinerary is China's economic hub of Shanghai, where he is expected to deliver three speeches to local business leaders and college students, and attend an illuminating ceremony at the city's Oriental Pearl TV Tower, a landmark structure of the metropolis.
As part of the celebrations for the Year of France in China, the tower will be illuminated in blue, white and red -- the three colors of the French national flag.
Raffarin is scheduled to leave
Shanghai Saturday at the end of his China visit, the second since 2003.
