France, China to Push Currency, Energy Ties

France and China will work together to promote the international role of the euro and the Chinese currency, and also beef up their cooperation in the nuclear power and uranium mining sectors, China Vice Premier Ma Kai said on Monday.

"Both parties agree to boost cooperation ... notably in nuclear, combustion fuel and uranium mining operations," he said via an interpreter at a joint news conference with French Finance Minister Michel Sapin after the two met in Paris.

Sapin said French institutional investors would have higher quotas to invest in China in renminbi (RMB) than initially planned.

BNP Paribas and Carmignac have just obtained authorisation to directly trade in RMB on the Chinese market, Sapin said, adding he believed further authorisations would follow.

Reporting by Ingrid Melander