China and France Strengthen Partnership

Cooperation agreements to be signed today during Hollande's visit to Beijing

BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China and France agreed to step up their partnership to a higher level with a series of cooperation agreements being signed on Thursday in Beijing.

The agreements were reached when Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his visiting French counterpart Francois Hollande at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders decided to push forward the China-France comprehensive and strategic partnership based on mutual respect and mutually-beneficial cooperation.

Hollande, on behalf of both the French government and people, expressed sympathy for those who died or suffered from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Lushan County, Sichuan Province on Saturday.