Chinese President Jiang Zemin met in Paris on October 25 with French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin at the prime minister's office in Matignon Hotel.

　 Jiang said that he remembered well his meeting with Jospin in Hefei, Anhui Province, when Jospin visited China in September 1998.

　 He also expressed his gladness to meet the prime minister again in Paris one year later.

　 Jospin said that he was very pleased to receive President Jiang in his office and he was deeply impressed by their friendly, frank and in-depth talks in Hefei.

　 He said that since then, French-Chinese relations have developed very well on a solid basis of friendship.

　 The warmest welcoming ceremony given to Jiang this time was a proof of it, said Jopsin.

　 On behalf of the French government, Jospin again expressed regret about the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade by NATO missiles during the Kosovo War.

　 Jospin said that France will continue to seek a solution to the world's hot crises through diplomatic and political means under the auspices of the Security Council.

　 The French prime minister said that France opposes the US plan on building anti-missile defense and deplores the rejection by the US Senate of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

　 He said that under the current international circumstances, a stronger cooperation between France and China will be good for the development of bilateral relations as well as peace and stability in the world.

　 Jiang said that the successful visit to China by the prime minister last year has strengthened bilateral relations.

　 He said that to the gladness of China, the exchange of visits by the leaders of the two countries is increasing, political consultations at different levels between the two governments are going deeper, and the fields of cooperation and exchange are expanding.

　 Jiang expressed his confidence that under the joint efforts by the two governments, the good momentum in developing bilateral relations will continue.

　 The Chinese president said that at the threshold of the 21st century, the task to push forward the process of world peace, stability and prosperity is a major challenge to the leaders of all countries.

　 Jiang said that the Kosovo War earlier this year should provoke deep reflections.

　 "The (NATO) intervention of Kosovo should never be allowed to set a precedent as for how to deal with international affairs. Ethnic and religious problems are the internal affairs of a country and they should be dealt with by the people of that country alone," he said.

　 He said that if the international community intends to help a country solve its internal problems, it should do it in a peaceful way and with the precondition of respecting the country's sovereignty.

　 Jiang said that the authority of the United Nations Security Council in implementing missions of international peacekeeping and protecting world security should be strengthened.

　 He said that China is still a developing country and that it pledges not to seek hegemonism nor interfere in the internal affairs of others even if it becomes powerful in the future.

　 He expressed his hope that China and France will increase dialogue, strengthen cooperation and work jointly for a new century of peace and development. (Xinhua)