PARIS, April 20 (Xinhuanet) -- French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said his country wants to consolidate and develop the comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

    In an interview with Xinhua on the eve of a three-day official visit to China beginning Thursday, Raffarin said he will discuss with Chinese leaders all major issues related to the China-France comprehensive partnership, particularly ways of further enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

    Marked progress has been achieved in recent years in the France-China relations in political dialogue, cultural exchange and economic and trade cooperation, he said.

    As permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two countries have been maintaining close consultations on all major international issues, the French prime minister told Xinhua in the interview on Tuesday.

    The successful holding of "the Year of China in France" and "the Year of France in China" has deepened mutual understanding of the two peoples and provided fresh impetus to bilateral relations, he said, adding that bilateral trade has recorded robust growth.

    "The exchanges and cooperation between our two countries are on full expansion and I think there is a real will from one part and from the other to keep this rhythm and develop the bilateral ties to higher levels," he said.

    He also said the two countries share similar views on international affairs, favoring solving international disputes through peaceful means and multilateral actions and respecting the diversity of cultures and development models of other countries.

    To safeguard peace and promote development, France and China maintain good cooperation at the UN Security Council, taking concerted moves over the issues of Iraq, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran, he said.

    On economic and trade cooperation, Raffarin stressed that the two countries' economies are highly complementary.

    As the second largest trading partner of China in the European Union, France's businesses have long attached great importance to cooperation with China.

    More than 600 companies have settled down in China, covering various fields, and the French government has launched a plan to realize the installation of 1,000 small- and medium-sized French firms in China this year, he said.

    On the Europe Union's arms embargo on China, Raffarin said the embargo is "unfair, outdated and discriminatory and "runs counter to the current state of the strategic partnership between the European Union and China."

    The prime minister said France together with the EU will continue to push for the lifting of the arms embargo, and the EU has only one "roadmap" concerning the issue: to reach consensus inthe first half of 2005 in accordance with a decision made by the European Council last December.

    He said the EU is firmly convinced that China, as a responsible country and a big power, will surely continue to live in peace and harmony with its neighbors and will play a bigger role in maintaining world peace and stability.

    The European Union, keen to boost trade and diplomatic ties with China, agreed in principle last December to lift the ban imposed in 1989. The United States is bitterly opposed to the plan,saying it will affect the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait.

    Earlier, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said China's appeal to lift the EU's arms embargo does not mean it is eager to buy weapons from EU countries. China means more to oppose discrimination by making the appeal because mutual respect and trust, equality and reciprocity constitute the basis of Sino-EU relations, Wen said.

    On the coming referendum on the EU constitution, Raffarin believed his countrymen can properly assess the significance of the referendum because it has a direct bearing on the status of France within the EU and the fate of the EU itself.

    A series of opinion polls conducted since March showed that between 50 percent and 55 percent of the French will vote against the constitution.

    About 30 businessmen, including the president of Alstom, candidate for the high-speed train project between Beijing and Shanghai, the president of the French Electricity Company, and a vice-president of Airbus, which intends to sell Super-jumbo A380s to China, will accompany Raffarin during his visit.

    According to the prime minister's office, some cooperation agreements and contracts are expected to be signed during his trip to China. Enditem