Chirac opens trade offensive aimed at Chinese

French President Jacques Chirac will today launch an intensive week of meetings with Asian leaders aimed at promoting French companies and cementing Europe-Asia ties.

The trip is part of a clear effort by Chirac, who played host to Chinese President Hu Jintao during a pomp-filled state visit in January, to strengthen bilateral ties in hopes of a payoff on the economic side.

Chirac was to leave France early today for his first destination, Singapore, where he told the Straits Times newspaper that both nations wanted to promote prosperity.

“In a world looking for new balance in the face of global challenges, Singapore and France want to promote a more peaceful, more unified and more prosperous world,” he said.

Chirac is to spend several hours in Singapore tomorrow before leaving for Vietnam. He is due to hold talks with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong and other government leaders, as well as with French businessmen in Vietnam.

The French president was to attend the opening of the Asia-Europe summit in Hanoi known as ASEM, and then travel to China on Friday night for a four-day visit that includes weekend meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Paris feels its economic ties with China have not kept pace with the friendship between the two governments. To boost economic ties, about 50 business leaders were to travel with Chirac.

They include Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chairman and CEO of Air France, Alcatel CEO Serge Tchuruk, Pierre Gadonneix, chairman of Electricite de France (EDF), Thierry Breton, chairman and chief executive of France Telecom, Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, Louis Schweitzer, chairman and CEO of Renault, and Thierry Desmarest, the chief executive of Total.

“Growth in China is an opportunity for growth and employment in France, and France should seize the opportunity,” said Chirac spokesman Jerome Bonnafont on Monday, adding that Chirac’s goal was to see 7,000 French companies in China by 2007. About 3,700 operate there now.

Chirac is to visit Chengdu in central China as part of a visit described as focusing on industrial, technological and economic cooperation. He was to meet with Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong.

In June, Chinese officials visiting France signed orders for 20 Airbus jets and a satellite, plus cooperation agreements covering trains, helicopters and nuclear plants. Chirac’s visit is an effort to build on the new warming of bilateral ties.

But France is not alone in putting the booming Chinese economy at the top of its trade agendas.

The United States normalised trade ties with Beijing in 2000, paving the way for China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation the following year.

French exports to China increased 32% to €4.6bn from 2002-2003, while imports rose 16% to €13.3bn.

Dozens of French companies such as car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen, construction groups Vinci and Bouygues, power utility Electricite de France (EDF), engineering group Alstom and nuclear plant builder Areva SA already have sizeable operations in China.