France's Sarkozy arrives in China

BEIJING: French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Beijing Thursday for talks with his Chinese counterpart expected to focus on the Libya conflict and the European debt crisis.

He will meet Hu Jintao at 0915 GMT at the Great Hall of the People next to Tiananmen Square and the two presidents will have a working dinner after the talks, French diplomatic sources said.

Following a short press conference, Sarkozy will depart for the French territory of New Caledonia, where he will attend the opening of the Pacific Games on Saturday, ending his five-hour trip to China.

France currently holds the chairmanship of the Group of 20 nations and preparations for the G20 summit in Cannes in November will be on the agenda, but Libya and the debt crisis are likely to dominate the talks.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011