BEIJING (AP) – The French finance minister said yesterday he pressed Chinese leaders to open their markets wider to foreign companies and lobbied for investment in France’s electric car industry.
Bruno Le Maire met on Saturday with Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s top envoy on economic matters. Chinese officials gave Le Maire and Yellen a warm welcome but Beijing has yet to decide on possible changes in technology and other policies.
Officials of the 27-nation European Union are trying to narrow a trade deficit with China that swelled to EUR396 billion (USD432 billion) last year.
Le Maire cited cosmetics, aerospace and agriculture as possible areas for more French exports.
“There is a need to improve access to the Chinese market. I think that it was at the core of our discussions,” Le Maire said in an interview at the French Embassy.
“We want to have a stronger economic relationship between Europe and China, between France and China, which means to get access for all European goods.”
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government has looked to Europe as an alternative market and source of technology. Le Maire and Chinese officials pledged to cooperate on climate change, financing for developing countries and nuclear power.
