French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy asked China yesterday to join a new global initiative aimed at providing people in the developing world easier access to drugs for the treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Initiated by France and Brazil, the innovative funding mechanism, now referred to as the International Drug Purchase Facility, seeks to suitably distribute more medicines to people in developing countries at cheaper rates.

At an hour-long meeting with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in Beijing, Douste-Blazy said France is committed to the idea because the country believes that at least a small part of the immense wealth generated by globalization should be set aside every year for the millions of people suffering from infectious diseases.

Douste-Blazy, who is on a two-day visit to China, also held talks with Premier Wen Jiabao.

He welcomed the rapid growth of Sino-African ties, pledging to work with China to help the continent to achieve sustainable development. Li said China appreciated the French efforts to have a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

China is satisfied with the healthy development of bilateral ties and "the two sides promise to further enhance cooperation in the fields of aviation, railway, energy, medicine, and culture," he added.

The two foreign ministers agreed to continue strategic consultations on bilateral ties and international affairs, Li said, reiterating their commitment to solving the Iranian nuclear issue diplomatically.

They exchanged views on global issues, including the peace process in the Middle East and developments in Iraq.

Before flying home, Douste-Blazy will attend the opening ceremony of a China-France cooperative forum on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) today and sign an agreement with Health Minister Gao Qiang.

Earlier, Douste-Blazy expressed his hopes that the two countries can cooperate to produce TCMs commercially because a number of French institutes have rich experience in the study of herbs and making of traditional medicines.

(Source: China Daily March 1, 2007)