Hollande to visit China

French President Francois Hollande will seek to boost Chinese confidence in France and the eurozone in his much-anticipated visit to China, in a bid to attract more Chinese investment and to address the trade and investment imbalance with China, French Economic and Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on Friday.

Hollande will pay an official visit to China with a strong political and business delegation in late April, Martine Aubry, former French Socialist party leader and the special envoy sent by French Minister of Foreign Affair Laurent Fabius, said during her visit to China this week.

High-ranking French politicians, including Moscovici and Foreign Trade Minister Nicole Bricq, paid visits to China in the past few weeks, paving the way for Hollande, who is likely to be the first eurozone leader to hold discussions with China’s new leadership.

"China can be confident about the future of the eurozone. There is no doubt about the stability of the euro and the political will of eurozone leaders," Moscovici said at a press briefing at the World Economic Forum.

Moscovici said that France has initiated ambitious structural reforms to stabilize the eurozone, reduce national debt, and increase productivity and competitiveness, which will ensure France remains an attractive destination for foreign investment.

Economic diplomacy will be at the top of the French socialist government's agenda of fostering stronger ties with China's new leadership. Beyond the traditional cooperation field of nuclear and aerospace, France also hopes to open the Chinese market for French enterprises in the sectors of agriculture, urban development, and healthcare, Aubry said.