French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged China on Sunday to revalue its currency and improve its record on the environment, hours after arriving in the country for a state visit.
Speaking to French business leaders following private talks with Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, Sarkozy also said China should play a more active role in resolving the Iran nuclear stand-off and other international disputes.
Neither side disclosed details of discussions during an informal dinner between the two leaders on day one of the French president's three-day visit.
But in his speech after the dinner, Sarkozy revealed the key goals of his trip-to persuade China to revalue its currency, to improve its record on the environment and to help resolve issues involving Iran and Myanmar. China's growing power in the international community brought with it added responsibilities as well as rights, Sarkozy told business leaders in Beijing.
"We need China to help find solutions to global problems," he said. "China now plays an essential role in the global economy .. By its very existence it changes the world balance."
"That brings with it rights, but also responsibilities, or rather duties." He said he wanted "vigorous" action from China on Myanmar, a close Chinese ally which crushed pro-democracy protests in September, sparking global outrage, and on Iran, in a stand-off with the West over nuclear weapons.
Another key concern for Sarkozy is revaluation of the yuan so as to help balance bilateral trade between France and China, which was 16 billion euros (24 billion dollars) in China's favour last year, according to French government figures.
"A great country should have a strong currency," he said. "I hope to convince the Chinese that global harmony to which they are so attached must be developed through the equitable balance between the major currencies whether that be the dollar, the euro, the yen or the yuan."
The environment is also a key focus for the French president in China, which is second only to the United States in greenhouse gas emissions, which are blamed for climate change. "China's economic growth should not and must not be achieved at the price of global environmental degradation, the exhaustion of natural resources and the speeding up of global warming," said the French leader.
He will also give a speech on the environment at Beijing's Qinghua University on Tuesday.
Sarkozy also hopes to oversee the signing of several major deals during his trip, including in nuclear energy and air transport, said his spokesman David Martinon.
Nuclear giant Areva and engineering conglomerate Alstom hope to conclude the sale of two new generation pressurised water nuclear reactors in a deal expected to be worth more than five billions euros (7.4 billion dollars).
Chinese airlines could place orders for up to 150 Airbus jets, the French daily La Tribune reported on Friday. However a source close to the negotiations said talks were difficult and no agreement had been reached by Sunday.
Sarkozy's delegation includes seven ministers and top officials, though not the foreign ministry's top human rights official, Rama Yade. However, Sarkozy "will raise this question (human rights) with top Chinese leaders, as he did in other cases with (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin and other presidents," said Martinon.
The president arrived on Sunday in Xian, an ancient city south-east of Beijing and later flew to the capital for dinner with President Hu whom he will meet again on Monday. His tour concludes Tuesday, when he will visit to the 2008 Beijing Olympic venues and visit Shanghai.
Comments
Comments are closed.