PARIS - China and France on Thursday signed a dozen cooperation agreements on aircraft, nuclear power equipment and uranium purchases.

The agreements covered a wide range of areas, including nuclear energy, aviation, finance, energy efficiency, environmental protection, climate change and culture.

France's Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo (R) shakes hands with China's President Hu Jintao (L) as France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (C) looks on, during the signature of agreements at the Elysee Palace in Paris November 4, 2010. Hu oversaw the signing of multi-billion dollar aeroplane and nuclear fuel contracts with French companies on Thursday and pledged close cooperation as Paris prepares to take over the G20 presidency. [Photo/Agencies]

According to the agreement package signed with Airbus, China is expected to buy a large number of aircraft from the company, including A320s, A330s and A350s.

The China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co, LTD signed a multi-billion-US-dollar agreement with Areva of France on long-term supply and sale of uranium.

France is a major source of exports of goods and technology to China within the European Union (EU). In the first eight months of this year, two-way trade topped US$29 billion, surging nearly 40 percent over the same period of last year.

Total trade between China and France is expected to reach US$40 billion in 2010.

During talks between Chinese President Hu Jintao and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday, they agreed to double bilateral trade by 2015.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said on an earlier occasion that through Hu's visit, China expected to deepen the convergence of bilateral interests and advance collaboration in various areas by expanding trade and cooperative projects.

France was the first Western country to carry out cooperation with China on nuclear energy for civilian purposes.

Up to now, cooperation on nuclear energy has become one of the pillars of trade and economic links between China and France. Major cooperative projects include nuclear power plants in three different locations in China, known as Daya Bay, Lingao and Taishan.

Negotiations on technological and business issues in bilateral nuclear cooperation are still going on between relevant companies of the two countries.

As the two countries work on industrial restructuring, they face fresh opportunities in transforming and upgrading bilateral trade.

On the basis of existing large-scale cooperative projects in the areas of aviation, nuclear energy and transport, China and France are expanding collaboration on energy efficiency, environmental protection, information technology, high-end product manufacturing, new energy resources and new materials.

Hu, who arrived here Thursday afternoon for a state visit to France, and Sarkozy witnessed the signing of the agreements.