Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Heiligendamm, Germany, June 8, 2007. (Xinhua File Photo/Liu Jiansheng)

    BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy will pay a state visit to China on Nov. 25-27 at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao announced here Thursday.

    Liu told a regular press briefing the upcoming visit will be a great event for China-France relations this year. China expects and believes the visit will promote the bilateral all-round strategic partnership up to a new stage, he said.

    To consolidate and develop bilateral ties not only meets the fundamental interests of the two counties and two peoples, but also is conducive to world peace, stability and development, the spokesman added.

    This will be Sarkozy's first visit to China since he became French president in May this year.

    Source: Xinhua