Ties with France to strengthen

Chinese President Hu Jintao vowed to have more strategic dialogues and deepen political trust with France, following France's objection to the European Union's arms embargo on China. At his meeting with visiting French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, Hu said China valued its military relations with France and appreciated its adherence to the one-China policy, state media reported. Hu said China and France are important, influential countries and have similar or identical views on some major international issues. Last week, Alliot-Marie said it was "illogical" to impose an arms embargo on China when the country has been chosen to host the 2008 Olympic Games. Brussels imposed the ban after Chinese authorities killed hundreds of pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 but some nations have pushed for an end to the embargo in recent years.