China airlines sign US$9.7b Airbus deals
(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2005-12-06 05:49

The Chinese delegation, which included the foreign and culture ministers and several senior officials, also signed accords to boost bilateral co-operation in agriculture, education and culture.

Undated Airbus S.A.S illustration handout shows an Airbus A320. [AFP]

"It does not reflect the reality of our relations with China, nor the strategic partnership we are building with it," he said, adding that France will continue to work for it to be lifted.

Wen, who earlier met President Jacques Chirac, pledged to push forward the Sino-French comprehensive strategic partnership established in 1997 by expanding common ground and strengthening co-operation.

The Chinese premier, who arrived in Paris for an official visit on Sunday, was to meet representatives from the French employers' federation MEDEF later yesterday.

Undated handout photo from Airbus shows the cockpit of an Airbus A320. China signed its biggest-ever deal with Airbus, ordering 150 of the European company's mid-range planes, worth nearly 10 billion dollars, during a visit to France by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. [AFP/Airbus]

He is scheduled to deliver a speech at elite university Ecole Polytechnique today before going to the southern city of Marseille to visit the Eurocopter factory and then view the nearby site of the experimental nuclear fusion reactor ITER, in which China is a partner. Wen leaves France tomorrow to continue his European tour with visits to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

China in deal with Eurocopter to develop new helicopter

PARIS (AFP) - China signed a cooperation deal with the European helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter for the development of a new civil aircraft.

The deal was signed in Paris during a visit to France by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.