Posted on 04/21/2005 2:14:16 PM PDT by WmShirerAdmirer
BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhuanet) -- 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 internationaland 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 byfocusing 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 continuos andregular 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.
Another article (same day) has
"The China Satellite Communications Corporation signed a 100-million-euro deal here Thursday with French company Alcatel Space to buy a powerful communications and live radio and TV broadcast satellite from the French firm."
It will be interesting to see if France has their way with the Chinese, first because "Raffarin's visit and the deals come amid tensions between China and Japan over Tokyo's bid for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat, France says it supports the planned changes and giving Tokyo a council seat," and the French also want the EU to end an European arms embargo imposed on China in 1989.
France better check to see if the ink has dried on the deals.
French weapons and tecnology will find their way into China, with or without an arms embargo. This aircraft deal just gives good cover to the transfer.
It's time to bomb France.
France is trying to manipulate the "foreign policy" of the EU, if that is what one can call it, for the gain of its own industries.
A taste of things to come?
"China appreciates France's understanding and support to China on the Taiwan issue and EU's lift of arms embargo," he said.
The French government operates quite a cat house. Love For Sale in Paris!!!
I guess we now know the price of Taiwan.
I wonder how many quatloos that is???
Their governments are making the economic deals not the private sectors, and that is why the economies if these nations is doomed for absolute disaster.
"France is trying to manipulate the "foreign policy" of the EU, if that is what one can call it, for the gain of its own industries."
Well in all fairness, in many ways the foreign policy of the US does the exact same thing. Can't blame france for trying to do what governments (including our own, with our 12-digit trade deficit with China helping finance their expansion) are apparently hired to do - look after their wealtiest entities and their interests.
If MAD works and there is no general war, it could benefit France greatly to be early in the door of kissing up to china now compared to the rest of europe, as china's economic clout is only going to get bigger.
As far as the US strategy, I don't see it the same since we are essentially exporting our money and industry to the single country most likely to rival us for global economic and eventually military supremacy.
At last, someone else sees through the scripting.
China will completely replace the USSR, but with a business twist brought on by globalization. This gives the old fashioned Cold Warriors the foundation they need to stay semi-sane. It gives the Chicken Littles an enemy that they can hyperinflate as needed. Lastly it gives the American Left a new hero nation - progressive (on paper) communism that succeeds in capitalist adventurism.
The real China is a far different place, IMHO. Just like the USSR, any nation with the yoke of communism around its' neck will fail. The pollution, the corruption, and all of the standard commie baggage will seal China's fate - along with all of the globalist enablers. Hell, China can't even produce their own jet engines yet, and people are lining up to crown them the world's Kings. Watching them reinvent the wheel that we invented 40-50 years ago is almost comical, if it weren't for the politicians in this country happily fellating the ChiComs. This paper tiger from China is no different than the one from the USSR - it doesn't matter how many sub-standard tanks, aircraft, missiles, etc. they have, as when showtime starts it will only be their crap littering the battlefield.
Look on the bright side... this helps build our friendship with the Japanese through are HATRED and DISTRUST of the FRENCH.
BOYCOTT FRANCE!
Are you sure you are on the right site?
Yep I agree! Taiwan has an axe to grind too over the frog's scamming them over the Mirages and Frigates.
I think every single multinational in the EU wants to be in China, and many of the governments as well, so it isn't like the governments opposed to some types of trade with china (the UK, for example) aren't getting pressure at home as well to open the doors. I am sure that if the EU does what France wants, it is also because it is what others in the EU want as well, and maybe they just let france be the public heavy. Additionally, i would expect the major european conglomerates to become more integrated in the coming years so the point where what is good for france is good for much of europe, economically, to some degree. Obviously the big issue hanging overhead is the arms embargo.
I think it is a given that in any multi-governmental org., the various parties will try to use the organization towards their own policy goals rather than lofty ideals of working together, etc. Has the US ever manipulated the OAS or the UN? I find the US policy towards china (exporting our manufacturing base, and a huge amount of money as well) far more vile than France trying to sell them something by using the EU to their advantage.
" Are you sure you are on the right site?'
You can read through my previous posts and decide for yourself. What website are my views appropriate for? What does this sort of question add to the discussion?
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