FRANCE: ANGRY PROTESTS OVER CHINESE PRIME MINISTER VISIT UPDATE

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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English/French/Russian France and China are expected to sign a lucrative jetliner and other multi- billion dollar trade deals Wednesday. Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng spent the day meeting French Prime Minister Alain Juppe and president of the Senat Rene Monory. But there have been angry protests in Paris over Li Peng 's visit and his country's human rights record. Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng kicked off the second day of his visit to France with a meeting with the president of the senat Rene Monory. This is his first visit to Paris since Beijing cracked down on China's pro-democracy movement in 1989. The visit is intended to strengthen Sino- French relations and bolster trade ties. Reports say China had agreed to buy 33 Airbus jetliners - a deal worth 1.5 (b) billion US dollars and a boost to the European airbus consortium. But throughout the day Li Peng was hounded by groups of angry demonstrators. Amnesty International protested over what it described as China's occupation of Tibet and the country's human rights record. Demonstrators urged Beijing to free political prisoners and halt executions and remember human rights issues. SOUNDBITE: (French) "On the occasion of the discussions between the French government and Li Peng, we want them not to forget the issue of human rights. It is important that China as Russia respects the rules of global human rights We all respect the same rules and demand that China respects human rights too." SUPERCAPTION: Protester Amnesty International also criticised China for carrying out executions and accused it of torture. Police quickly broke up this demonstration outside the Chinese embassy and detained up to 150 jeering activists. Many protesters accused France of selling out. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Its really a big regret because I don't think that France a country of liberty and democracy can change human rights for the air bus and its really something sad for all the people that love France." SUPERCAPTION: Voxpop - Protester SOUNDBITE: (French) "One can say it is the shame of France." SUPERCAPTION: Voxpop - Protester But Li Peng spent the day carefully shielded from the uproar raging around the French capital in the lavishly decorated Foreign Ministry building on the Seine. French authorities aimed to keep protests at a minimum, after Li was hounded when he visited Germany in 1994 and several European countries in 1992. Li is to visit the Airbus assembly plant in the southern city of Toulouse on Friday before leaving for Beijing. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4e95ff53346d80a6704654f015e9da1d Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork