French President Jacques Chirac (R) shakes hands with Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu in Paris April 21, 2006. Hui is on a five-day visit to France. [Xinhua Photo]

French President Jacques Chirac said the agricultural cooperation accord with China is a "promising advance" in the development of France-China relations.

During a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu in Paris on Friday, Chirac said France and China are highly complementary in agriculture, and France is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with China in agricultural production, credit and insurance.

He also reaffirmed that France adheres to the one-China policy unswervingly.

Hui, on a five-day visit to France, said Sino-French relations have progressed rapidly in recent years in various fields, adding the Chinese side highly appreciates the French side's position on the Taiwan issue and its firm opposition to "Taiwan independence."

China is ready to further promote the cooperation with France in all sectors, and the two nations have large potentials in agricultural cooperation, he added.

On Friday, Hui and French Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau signed an accord to set up a joint committee, which will convene once every year, to set priorities for agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking at a news conference after the signing ceremony, Bussereau said he will travel to China in the second half of the year for the first meeting of the committee.

The two countries also signed a cooperation protocol on the establishment of a Chinese-French center for the production, transformation and improvement of wheat varieties.