Chinese President Hu Jintao met with his French counterpart Jacques Chirac in Gleneagles, Scotland on Thursday, vowing to deepen ties and enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Hu said that Sino-French relations continue to develop with frequent exchanges of high-level visits and increasing political trust.

Cooperation between China and France in economy, trade, science, culture and other areas have expanded over the years, Hu said.

As to international and regional issues, Hu said that both sides continue to have good communication and coordination.

The Chinese president expressed his hope that France continues to play an active role in pushing the European Union to end arms embargo on China and recognizing China's status as a market economy.

Chirac said that he fully agreed with Hu's view on bilateral relations.

He said that through holding the "Year of France in China" and the "Year of China in France," both peoples now have a deeper understanding of each other.

He said that France will continue its efforts to solve the issues mentioned by Hu.

The two presidents met on the sidelines of an informal meeting between leaders of the G8 and leaders of China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

Source: Xinhua