French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday that his country opposes "Taiwan independence" and the island's push for a referendum next year on UN membership.

France holds that there is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an integral part of China, which is the general position of the international community, Sarkozy said.

Any unilateral initiative is "ineffective and unjustified", especially the planned referendum, he said during the meeting with President Hu Jintao.

"It (the referendum) is not a useful initiative. It is therefore regrettable and I hope it will not be pursued."

Sarkozy said that France has taken note of the peace proposal in Hu's report to the recent 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

In his report, Hu, for the first time, talked about a peace agreement across the Taiwan Straits, calling for discussion on a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides on the basis of the one-China principle.

Hu said Monday he appreciates Sarkozy's adherence to the one-China policy and support for China's peaceful reunification.

(China Daily November 27, 2007)