French President Nicolas Sarkozy wound up a state visit to China yesterday, netting billions of euros in contracts for French firms, including Alstom's signal system for Shanghai Metro Line 10.  

During his brief stay in Shanghai, the French president met Shanghai Party Secretary Yu Zhengsheng and French businessmen before enjoying a dinner at the Sens & Bund, a French restaurant.

Sarkozy also attended a contract signing ceremony between the French train manufacturer Alstom Transport Co and the Shanghai Shentong Metro Group.

Alstom will provide its radio-based train control system to the city's Metro Line 10 which is being built by Shanghai Shentong.

The signal transmission system is expected to reduce train intervals and improve capacity, Shentong managers said.

The 36-kilometer Metro Line 10 has 29 underground stations, stretching from the New Jiangwan Town in the north to Hongqiao Airport in the southwest. Twenty-seven of the 29 stations are being built at present.

The line will be put in operation before 2010 and will pass through the Wujiaochang area, Sichuan Road, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall, Huaihai Road, Yuyuan Garden and the Shanghai Zoo.

Sarkozy started his trip in the city with a visit to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall.

The French president began his three-day state visit to China in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, on Sunday.

He met President Hu Jintao and witnessed contract signings worth 20 billion euros (29.68 billion U.S. dollars) in Beijing on Monday.

(Shanghai Daily November 28, 2007 a)