China signed contracts with France in Beijing yesterday to buy 30 Airbus planes and other French goods in deals worth more than 3 billion euros as French Premier Jean-Pierre Raffarin began a three-day official visit to China.

Premier Wen Jiabao and Raffarin witnessed the signing ceremony of 20 agreements, involving deals in aviation, nuclear energy and agriculture.

As part of the agreements, China promised to buy 30 Airbus planes, including five Airbus A380 and 25 A320 planes.

Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines Co Ltd signed a contract with Airbus SAS yesterday to buy 20 jets to beef up its fleet capacity.

"The purchase of an additional 20 A320 family aircraft will satisfy the needs of our strategic development and accommodate growing market demand," said China Eastern President Luo Chaogeng.

Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines signed a deal to buy five Airbus 380, a jumbo jet with 555 seats, while Shenzhen Airlines agreed to buy three Airbus 320s and two A319s.

China Southern was the first Chinese carrier to add the double-decker plane to its fleet.

hina Eastern, the country's third-largest carrier by fleet size, will buy five A319s, 11 A321s and four A320s. According to catalog prices, the 20 planes are worth a combined US$1.37 billion.

The five A319s will be equipped with special devices that will allow them to fly at very high altitudes. China Eastern is going to use the aircraft to serve routes between Shanghai and Lhasa, capital of Tibet, which will be introduced next year, according to the carrier.

Also yesterday, the China Satellite Communications Corporation signed a 100-million-euro deal to buy a powerful communications satellite from French company Alcatel Space.

Zhang Hainan, president of the Chinese firm, said the satellite will be used for the live TV broadcast of sporting events during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The signals beamed from the satellite will cover the whole of China, which means people in remote areas that currently cannot receive TV signals will be able to watch television programs after its scheduled launch in mid-2007 atop a Chinese-made rocket, said Zhang.

China will also buy electric locomotives worth 373 million euros from French engineering giant Alstom, and signed an 80-million-euro contract with French contractors to build a railway line in Yunnan.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Wen and Raffarin held hour-long talks, agreeing to further political and economic ties.

"China appreciates France's understanding and support to China on the Taiwan issue and EU's lift of arms embargo," Wen said.

Raffarin said that France will continue to persuade other European Union members to push for the lifting of arms ban on China.

He said he believed the EU council does not have reason to alter its earlier decision to lift the arms embargo.

Describing the ban as "relic of the cold war" and "political discrimination" which China firmly opposes, Wen said it is not conforming to the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Sixteen years have past. My black hairs have turned white," said Wen.

During his China tour, Raffarin will also visit Shenyang, capital of northeast Liaoning Province, and Shanghai where he is expected to deliver three speeches to local business leaders and college students, and attend an illuminating ceremony at the city's Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

As part of the celebrations for the Year of France in China, the tower will be illuminated in blue, white and red - the three colors of the French national flag.