French Prime Minister arrives in Beijing

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon arrived in Beijing Sunday, starting a three-day official visit, state media reported.

   Fillon is expected to meet with President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Li Keqiang, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

   A series of trade agreements are on the table, the report said, with both sides wanting to improve cooperation in the fields of nuclear power, aviation, environmental protection, medical services, telecommunications and finance, dpa reported.

   The Sino-French relationship came under pressure last year over France's perceived support for the Tibet human rights movement.

   China was incensed after French protestors disrupted the Olympic torch relay in April, and further angered by a meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama in Poland in December.

   But the Xinhua report stressed that the bilateral relationship had already "returned to the normal track" after meetings between Hu and Sarkozy in April and September this year.