By: GILLIAN WONG
France doesn’t want to interfere in Chinese affairs, but Beijing must show more tolerance for the European country’s democratic values, the French prime minister said Tuesday on a trip to Beijing to strengthen ties weakened by spats over Tibet.
Relations nose-dived last year in the wake of chaotic protests by exiled Tibetans and other activists during the Olympic torch’s passage through Paris and after French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s talks with the Himalayan region’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Ties have warmed since Sarkozy and Chinese President Hu Jintao met at international summits in April and September, and the French government pledged to reject Tibetan independence in “any form.”
“It is true that there has been some misunderstanding between China and France in the past … and we have cleared them. Now we want to build our relationship on the basis of mutual respect,” Prime Minister Francois Fillon said in response to a question from a student at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, where he made a speech.
“China is a big country that needs to solve their problems on their own. It is wrong to think that it is from the exterior that we will change any part of China’s life,” Fillon said.
“In the same way, France is a very old democracy, and we have freedom of speech, and everyone can express themselves as they wish,” he said. “This is our tradition, and the Chinese government should understand this.”
At a press conference later Tuesday, Fillon said he felt he had accomplished his goal of putting the two countries’ relationship back on track.
Fillon said France will continue to seek new levels of cooperation with China “because we think that it is through economic and cultural cooperation that China will continue to develop, to open up and to find solutions for its own contradictions.”
During his trip, Fillon also urged China to boost its internal consumption to keep its economic growth high. He said exchange rates needed to reflect “the reality of certain economies,” but he did not mention specifics.
China has been accused of giving its exporters an unfair price advantage by keeping the yuan undervalued.
Fillon held talks with Hu and the head of China’s national legislature, Wu Bangguo, at the Great Hall of the People. Hu said Fillon’s meeting on Monday with his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, helped boost China and France’s partnership.
On Monday, French defense contractor Safran SA and General Electric secured a reported $15 billion deal to supply engines for China’s newest, biggest commercial passenger jet. Fillon called the deals “very important” and “represent jobs for French workers.”
It was one of 12 pacts signed late Monday that would boost cooperation in nuclear energy, aviation, cultural exchange and environmental projects.
Safran said it would supply engines and other components of aircraft propulsion systems to Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, or COMAC, for China’s first large passenger jet, the C919. China is counting on the narrow-body, single-aisle plane — the country’s newest and biggest homegrown commercial jetliner — to compete against Western rivals in the high-stakes international aviation market.
The engines will be built by CFM International, a joint venture between Safran and General Electric. Safran Chief Executive Jean-Paul Herteman told French newspaper Les Echos on Monday that Safran’s share of the deal would be worth $15 billion over 30 years.
Associated Press writer Isolda Morillo contributed to this report.
