On Monday, China and France signed 16 cooperation agreements during Premier Wen Jiabao's ongoing visit, and both he and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin were present at the signing ceremony.

The biggest deal was a framework agreement on the purchase of 150 aircraft from Airbus's A320 family of single-aisle planes, signed by European aircraft maker Airbus' chief executive, Gustav Humbert and president of China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group, Li Hai.

A financial protocol was signed by Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and French Finance Minister Thierry Breton on the funding of the SHITAI railway linking Shijiazhuang and Taiyuan in central China.

An administrative agreement of bilateral cooperation was signed by French Labor Minister Jean-Louis Borloo and Labor and Social Security Minister Tian Chengping.

Another administrative agreement was signed by vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Xiaoqiang and French Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Trade, Small-Scale Industry, the Professions Renaud Dutreil.

Communications Minister Zhang Chunxian and French Minister Delegate for Tourism Leon Bertrand signed a cooperation agreement in the fields of sea protection and maritime assistance and another cooperation agreement on highways.

Vice Minister of Commerce Yu Guangzhou and French Junior Minister for Foreign Trade Christine Lagarde signed an administrative agreement on access of French small and medium-sized enterprises to the Chinese market.

China's Ambassador to France Zhao Jinjun signed a cooperation agreement with Francois Guinot, president of the National Academy of Technologies of France.

An agreement of strategic partnership was signed between France Telecom mobile phone operator and Chinese telecommunications equipment provider ZTE Corporation, which also signed an entry agreement with the general council of the French province of Vienne.

The Chinese Agriculture University and French Academy of Agriculture signed an agreement on the establishment of a Sino-French R&D center.

Following the signing ceremony, Wen and de Villepin held a joint press conference on the development of Sino-French cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2005)