China, France prepare for high-level meet amid tensions
China and France are to hold high-level meetings here later Thursday, French officials said, as the two nations keep up efforts to mend tense relations linked to Tibet and the Beijing Olympics.
By Agencies |
BEIJING: China and France are to hold high-level meetings here later Thursday, French officials said, as the two nations keep up efforts to mend tense relations linked to Tibet and the Beijing Olympics.
Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who is carrying a message from President Nicolas Sarkozy, was scheduled to meet with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao late in the day.
Meanwhile the leader of the French Senate, Christian Poncelet, who has been in China since early this week, was set to hold talks with President Hu Jintao, a meeting that Raffarin was also expected to attend.
The French leaders are in China as Paris and Beijing strive to address diplomatic tensions, highlighted when thousands of protesters picketed Chinese branches of giant French retailer Carrefour over the weekend.
The protests were fuelled by what they see as biased Western coverage of China's crackdown in Tibet, Sarkozy's threat to stay away from the Olympic opening ceremony, and protests that marred the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay.
The French government has firmly distanced itself from the Paris city council's decision to make exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of the capital, a move that incensed Beijing.
Raffarin criticised the council's decision as "a very serious political mistake" and stressed there was no confrontation with China, according to an interview published by Chinese state media on Wednesday.
Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who is carrying a message from President Nicolas Sarkozy, was scheduled to meet with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao late in the day.
Meanwhile the leader of the French Senate, Christian Poncelet, who has been in China since early this week, was set to hold talks with President Hu Jintao, a meeting that Raffarin was also expected to attend.
The French leaders are in China as Paris and Beijing strive to address diplomatic tensions, highlighted when thousands of protesters picketed Chinese branches of giant French retailer Carrefour over the weekend.
The protests were fuelled by what they see as biased Western coverage of China's crackdown in Tibet, Sarkozy's threat to stay away from the Olympic opening ceremony, and protests that marred the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay.
The French government has firmly distanced itself from the Paris city council's decision to make exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen of the capital, a move that incensed Beijing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Raffarin criticised the council's decision as "a very serious political mistake" and stressed there was no confrontation with China, according to an interview published by Chinese state media on Wednesday.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
