President Hu Jintao has met his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, in Beijing. Sarkozy is on a five-hour stopover in the Chinese capital, before heading to New Caledonia, a French South Pacific territory.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 25, 2011. [Xinhua]

Hu Jintao called Sarkozy's visit a symbol of strategic cooperation between the two countries. Hu said strong ties between China and France would drive positive results from November's G-20 summit, and help promote the sound recovery of the global economy. Sarkozy said the G20 must take strong action to propel economic recovery, noting that China can play an important role. France currently chairs the G20, and Sarkozy says Chinese backing is essential in achieving France's roadmap for tackling economic imbalance and reducing market speculation and volatility.