France/China

Sarkozy and Hu Jintao to meet again after Tibet spat

Article published on the 2009-04-01 Latest update 2009-04-01 11:57 TU

The good old days - Hu Jintao (R) and Nicolas Sarkozy toast during a contract signing ceremony in Beijing in 2007
(Photo: Reuters)

China and France are to resume high-level talks, hoping to improve relations which were damaged last year by France's stance on Tibet. President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to meet China's Hu Jintao on Wednesday in London, where they are attending the G20 summit.

French diplomats told the AFP news agency today that the two presidents are expected to meet after their countries issued a joint statement promising high-level contacts and a resumption of strategic dialogue.

The two countries fell out when Sarkozy agreed to meet the Dalai Lama last December in Poland. China objected that France was treating the Tibetan Buddhist leader as if he was a head of state, although Tibet is a province of the People's Republic. 

Beijing postponed a European Union summit until France no longer held the EU's rotating presidency.

The joint statement declares commitment to the principle of non-interference and promises to strengthen consultation on each other's "fundamental interests".

"France fully appreciates the importance and sensitivity of the Tibet question and confirms that it supports the one-China policy and its position that Tibet is an integral part of Chinese territory,"  it says.

An earlier statement from the Chinese Foreign Minstry declared that the two countries would "strengthen communication and consultation and jointly face the world financial crisis and other global challenges".