Chinese Finance Minister Jin Renqing held talks in Paris Wednesday with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy and signed several agreements on bilateral finance cooperation.  

Sarkozy reiterated France's commitment to its one-China policy and expressed his government's confidence on China's development. Friendly ties are developing steadily between the two countries, he noted.

He praised China for its achievements in reform and opening up and described China's rapid growth as a miracle. Economic cooperation between the two countries is in their national interests, he said.

Jin congratulated Sarkozy on his appointment as finance minister. He briefed him on Chinese finance and banking systems reforms and its policies on industry and exchange rates, noting that French-Chinese cooperation in fiscal and finance fields were fruitful.

The two ministers shared the view that the main issue facing world economies remained stability and growth and pledged their joint efforts to further intensify exchanges and cooperation in these fields.

The two ministers signed an initial agreement on the investment of a health project which will provide a hospital in northern Chinese city of Xi'an with medical equipment.

Several agreements are also signed in their presence. "Transport and environment are privileged sectors in our finance cooperation," said a statement released by French Finance Ministry after the talks.

"France showed its concrete will to deepen the French-Chinese global strategic partnership in economic and financial fields, in conformity with the joint declaration made by presidents Chirac and Hu Jintao in January," it said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2004)