French President Jacques Chirac arrived in China Wednesday for a visit intended to promote closer economic ties between the countries and deliver a host of business deals, AFP reported. While the North Korea nuclear crisis is expected to be high on the agenda, Chirac told industry chiefs at a dinner on Wednesday that he would do his best to lobby for high-profile deals, but he also encouraged more small- and medium-sized French enterprises to enter the Chinese market. "The calling card of France is in our service enterprises, in what the media, hotels and service enterprises can offer and in the opportunities in agriculture and in the food industry," he said. The big deals on the table potentially include commitments from China to buy 500 trains from Alstom SA and 70 jets from Airbus. The Airbus deal, which would follow last year's US$10 billion order for 150 planes, could also see approval given to the building of an Airbus assembly plant in Tianjin.
Categories