France will firmly adhere to the one-China principle, and there will be no change in its Taiwan policy, French President Jacques Chirac said in Beijing Thursday.

Chirac made the remarks when holding a joint press conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao, and Hu spoke highly of France's firm stance.

The two presidents signed a joint statement after the talks.

France reiterated in the statement that it opposes any actions which will intensify the situation across the Taiwan Straits and which could lead to "Taiwan independence", as well as its hope for a peaceful solution of the issue through dialogue.

Chirac is in China on a four-day state visit at the invitation of Hu Jintao.

Source: Xinhua