French President Nicolas Sarkozy, accompanied by his glamorous wife Carla Bruni, arrived in China on Wednesday on a three-day visit aimed at smoothening the bilateral ties rocked by differences over Tibet and conferment of honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama by Paris.
The French first couple began their visit at western tourist city of Xian by viewing the famous life-size terracotta warriors at the tomb of China's first emperor, before heading in Beijing.
A number of issues are expected to figure in Sarkozy's talks with President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders. He is expected to press the Chinese leaders to back moves by the UN Security Council's permanent members to impose sanctions against Iran.
Both France and China are permanent UNSC members, apart from the US, Russia and Britain.
Sarkozy is expected to make one more attempt to persuade Hu, who has not relented much on this issue after his recent meeting with President Barrack Obama on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
On the bilateral front, the Tibet issue, which caused strains in ties between the two countries, is expected to figure prominently in the talks.
{{/usCountry}}On the bilateral front, the Tibet issue, which caused strains in ties between the two countries, is expected to figure prominently in the talks.
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