China urges a 'more fair' business environment in France

Chinese vice premier He Lifeng called Thursday for "a more fair, just and predictable business environment" in France during talks with finance minister Eric Lombard in Paris.He made the comments during a visit to France amid trade tensions between the European Union and China."(We) look forward to France providing a more fair, just and predictable business environment," He said at the start of the meeting with Lombard.The vice premier added that Beijing "welcomes French enterprises to increase their investments in China" and encourages Chinese companies to "invest and do business in France".The EU has imposed hefty tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars after a probe found Chinese state subsidies were undercutting European automakers.China has imposed anti-dumping measures on EU brandy, hitting France's cognac industry.Lombard said after the meeting that no resolution regarding cognac exports had been reached.The discussions "didn't result in a definitive solution of the dispute", he said, adding "the door remains open" for further talks.China is a major market for French cognac, with exports worth 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) per year. The anti-dumping measures are costing the industry 50 million euros per month.French President Emmanuel Macron had said Tuesday that he was "reasonably optimistic" about negotiations on cognac.