Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in southern France.

During the visit, Wen highlighted the work of ITER, expressing his hope for an abundance of clean and cheap energy resources in the 21 century to facilitate the sustainable development of economy.

The goal of the ITER project is to show that energy production using atomic fission is scientifically and technologically possible. At a time when fossil fuel shortages are just 50 years away, exploring the potential of alternative energy sources is all the more important.

According to scientists at the ITER, which is situated in Cadarache, some 70 kilometers northeast of France's second largest city Marseille, just 300 liters of sea water provide one gram of deuterium, and this means that the water in our oceans alone could meet world energy needs for around a billion years.

Wen, who attaches great importance to high-tech enterprises, toured the ITER soon after he visited the Eurocopter Group in Marseille.

Earlier Tuesday, Wen flew to Marseille after making a major speech to some 800 students and teachers at the Ecole Polytechnique, the top university in France.

On Monday, Wen held talks with French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, met with French President Jacques Chirac and President of the French National Assembly Jean-louis Debre in Paris on ways of expediting Sino-French cooperation and coordination.