More than meets the eye Fine wines, food, perfume, luxury brands and art-in the eyes of many Chinese, France is a country of romance and fashion. but there is more to France than that. In an interview with CCTV, French President Francois Hollande, who paid a state visit to China on April 25 to 26 with hopes of fighting the recession in his country by improving relations with China, said that France also stands out in fields such as science and technology. Indeed, during Hollande's stay in China, the two governments signed a series of deals on nuclear power, urbanization, new energy tourism and agricultural products, and a deal for 60 Airbus plans. France is China's fourth largest trading partner in the EU, while China is France's largest trading partner in Asia and its largest source of imports in the world. "I look forward to the future of our global strategic partnership,"President Xi Jinping said at a news conference with Hollande. The French leader, in a speech delivered at Shanghai Jiaotong University, also addressed issues that directly concern Chinese young people .In the speech, he promised to shorten the processing tine of visa applications for Chinese students studying in France. France is the most popular travel destination with Chinese tourists, according to a 2012 survey by the China Tourism Academy. In response to several recent attacks on Chinese tourists in France, Hollande and the country's tourism minister promised to take measures, such as deploying more police in scenic spots frequented by Chinese tourists to ensure their safety. Chinese tourists were also reminded not to carry too much cash with them. China and France began interacting with each other in the 17th century, when French kings sent numerous missionaries to China to promote Christianity. They also spread Western science in China. Jean-Francois Gerbillon (1654-1707),for instance, who went by the name of Zhang Cheng in China, was one of them, A good mathematician, Gerbillon taught Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty about Western science. The missionaries' description of a stable and powerful China, compared with Europe's sectarian conflicts and problems at the time, led to a "China fever" sweeping across France and other parts of Europe during the 17th and 18th century. In the 19th century, however, China became weak and was defeated in several wars with industrialized France and other European powers. The 20th century, especially in 1964, saw Sino-French relations turn a new page. That year, France became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Since then, "France-China relations have been good or very good over the long run,"Xinhua said. But the relationship between the two countries hasn't been all well-established. The disruption of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Paris and comments by French politicians on Tibet, for example, have caused anger in China. The passage is mostly about   _  .
the relationship between China and France. French President Hollande's state visit to China. France also stands out in science and technology. a series of deals signed by China and France.