Posted on 10/12/2004 10:32:13 PM PDT by mrsmel
12 October, 2004 CHINA - FRANCE Chirac urges China to help France in balancing US power
The French president charms Chinese leaders avoiding human rights discussions.
Shanghai (AsiaNews/Agencies) - President Jacques Chirac used an official visit to China to boost economic ties with the emerging Asian superpower's market and avoiding almost completely any discussions on human rights abuses.
During his visit, which ends Tuesday, Chirac has gone out of his way to charm his hosts, quoting Chinese poetry and echoing Beijing's repeated calls for "mutual respect" in foreign relations.
Speaking yesterday at the Tongji University in Shanghai , Chirac urged China to play a more active role in the United Nations, where both countries are permanent members of the Security Council. Mr Chirac pressed France's argument for multiple sources of global influence, underscoring France's hopes of allying with China in an attempt to counterbalance the dominance of the United States.
Discussion of human rights abuses has been avoided, with Chirac instead discreetly handing over a list of imprisoned dissidents - played down by French officials as a routine gesture by a visiting European leader. Even the names upon it remained a secret.
The French head of state also called for an end to the European Union's arms embargo against China - imposed after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on student protesters in Beijing - describing it as "a measure motivated purely and simply by hostility."
EU foreign ministers failed to agree on lifting the 15-year-old embargo at a meeting in Luxembourg Monday, despite the strong French pressure.
Chirac and president Hu Jintao, presided over a weekend signing ceremony in Beijing at which French companies inked more than 20 new deals with local partners.
The deals included some euro 1.45 billion (1.80 billion US dollars) in transportation and hydroelectric contracts for Alstom SA. On Tuesday, Alstom said a consortium it leads won a 134 million euro (166 million US dollars) contract to supply trains for Shanghai's subway system. But Chirac's trip failed to produce a deal on a major high-speed railway link planned between Beijing and Shanghai, for which Alstom's TGV trains are up against Japan's bullet train technology.
In other deals, water and energy giant Suez SA clinched new Chinese water and waste treatment contracts worth euro 680 million (845 million US dollars) in the eastern coastal cities of Qingdao and Shanghai. Oil company Total SA finalized a deal to build 200 gas stations.
Airbus SAS also sealed six new passenger jet orders and confirmed another 20 that had been announced previously. But the Toulouse-based aircraft maker failed to sell the new A380 "superjumbo" to China - confounding market rumors that it was poised to announce a deal for 10 of the 555-seater jets. In terms of foreign direct investment, France still lags behind other major European partners in China. By the end of 2003, France had invested 6.1 billion US dollars (euro 4.9 billion), compared with Germany's 8.9 billion US dollars (euro 7.2 billion) and Britain's 11.4 billion US dollars (euro 9.2 billion), Chinese trade ministry figures show. Printable page
See also 10/1/2004 china - China participates in G7 meeting 10/9/2004 china - france - eu - Chirac in Beijing calling for end to EU arms embargo 10/7/2004 china - Workers in Shenzhen protest at low wages, long hours 08/12/2004 china - A divided leadership celebrate centenary of Deng's ... 01/29/2004 china - france - France, doing business with China wi
France is no friend of the USA.
It's time to fully enforce a boycott of all things French. Hit them where it hurts...let's see the Chinese drink their wine....
Chirac sure has a "little man" complex.
HELP! HELP! WE'VE LOST OUR ACCORDIAN AND CAN'T SHOOT THE DUCKS!
QUICK!!! We need a pre-emptive strike!
France is no friend of the USA.
France is no friend of the USA.
You are right. France is an enemy of the US and better watch their step. I lump them right after North Korea and Iran.
Not only are they no friend to us,they are actively seeking to undermine us.Apparently they'd rather see communist China oust us as the world's superpower if they can make a few francs out of it. France is a dangerous combination-ambitious,greedy,and stupid.
Didn't Warner Brothers have a cartoon series based on this arrangement called "Pinky and the Brain"???
Are you pondering what I'm pondering?
I don't know,what's "Pinky and the Brain"?
Old Europe has become undeniably hostile to the US. We need to pull out whatever troops we still have their and tell them in no uncertain terms that they are on their own as far as their defense. The next time they're invaded,perhaps by Muslim jihadists,they can deal with it.They've resented and hated us,especially France,ever since we saved their sprry azzes in WWII. That era made us the superpower we are,and instead of being grateful that since there must be a superpower,which there must in the modern world,that's it's the free and democratic and generous US,they've resented it.they're too stupid to live.They'll cut off their noses to spite their faces in trying to bring us down.How do they think living under Communist or Muslim fundamentalist rule will suit them?
LOL ping!
Pinky is on the left, and Brain ("Emperor" Chirac) on the right.
From the end of "Brain's Night Off,"
Brain: Come, Pinky. We must return to the lab to prepare for tomorrow night.
Pinky: Gee, Brain, what are we going to do tomorrow night?
Brain: The only thing I know how to have any fun doing. Trying to take over the world!
The last time the French had ANY kind of "Global Significance"....battleships were made of wood, and the muzzle loading rifle was the "latest technology" in warfare.
I did some research that you may find of interest.
There are 77,000 Americans buried in 11 Cemeteries from both WWI and WWII scattered through out the country side of France.
I know the cost would be astronomical....but I have said it for years now...and I repeat it one more time.
Let's bring those boys home, so they can REST IN PEACE in REAL AMERICAN soil.
We don't forget !
Err,I think their currency is now the Euro-the Franc isn't around.
"What are we doing tonight Hu? Same thing we do every night Jacques, try to take over the world!"
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