Chinese President Hu Jintao left here Thursday to pay state visits to France and Portugal.

Hu was invited to visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva.

The president's entourage includes his wife Liu Yongqing; Ling Jihua, member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of General Office of CPC Central Committee; Wang Huning, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and director of Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; State Councilor Dai Bingguo; Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi; Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Zhang Ping; Commerce Minister Chen Deming.

Let's turn back to Dr. Gao Zhikai for a Chinese perspective on President Hu Jintao's visit to France.

Q1: Dr. Gao, Hu Jintao will pay a visit to France, a follow up to President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to Beijing this past April. It's Hu Jintao's first trip to France since Sarkozy took office. What's the significance for Sino-French relations?

Q2: France is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. What role is France playing in China and the world?

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