Sarkozy´s conditions for Olympics visit met with anger by Chinese netizens

Some netizens reasoned, "It's just like attending a banquet. An invitation has been sent to him, and whether he comes or not is Sarkozy's own business. The Olympics are for everyone, no matter if they're a president or an average citizen; everyone in the world is equal. If they come, they are considered guests and will be received warmly. If they don't come, it's not a big deal."

After French President Sarkozy announced his stance on the Tibet issue and the Olympics opening ceremony, netizens expressed their desire on many domestic websites to "boycott French goods and tourism." This April, because of events like the disruption of the Olympic torch relay in France and reports that major French companies support Tibetan independence, netizens have started a wave of calls for boycotting French goods.

According to Customs statistics, 3.367 billion US dollars passed in commerce between China and France in 2007, up by 33.7 percent from the previous year. The value of exports from China increased by 46.1 percent to 2.033 billion USD, and the value of imports entering China rose by 18.3 percent to 1.334 billion USD.

In 2007, French trade volume (not including military arms) reached 8.3877 trillion Euros. The value of exports from France was 3.9333 trillion, while the value of imports was 4.4543 trillion. Sino-French commerce makes up 4.4 percent of French foreign trade.

Editor:Du Xiaodan