Chinese President Hu Jintao met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy here Wednesday night, signifying the restoration of bilateral ties soured by the French leader's meeting with leading Tibetan separatist the Dalai Lama.

　　"Our meeting today means a new starting point for the bilateral relations, and I hope the two sides would work together to usher in a new phase in Sino-French ties," Hu said at the start of his meeting with Sarkozy.

　　The two leaders were meeting ahead of a Group of 20 summit on the global financial crisis, scheduled for Thursday.

　　The meeting also came hours after China and France issued a press communique Wednesday, which said the two sides "attach great importance to China-France relations" and reiterated their adherence to the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

　　In the communique, France pledged not to support "Tibet independence" in any form.

　　Relations between China and France deteriorated last December when Sarkozy decided to meet with the Dalai Lama in Poland.

　　"Severe difficulties" had cropped up in bilateral relations a few months before, which the Chinese side did not want to see, Hu said.

　　"China appreciates France's latest move and feels happy about the restoration of bilateral relations," Hu said.

　　Sarkozy said that no matter how France-China relations change, he believed there is only one China in the world, with Taiwan and Tibet constituting inalienable parts of Chinese territory.

　　The French president said he was glad the two countries restored their comprehensive strategic partnership and resumed strategic dialogue.

　　He expressed the hope that the two countries would seek to promote the steady and harmonious development of bilateral ties in politics, economy, diplomacy and other areas.