France's Jean-Noel Barrot receives his Chinese counterpart in Paris | AFP

French Foreign Minister Jean‑Noel Barrot welcomes his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris, while the Chinese authorities earlier announced that starting Saturday they would require an increase in the prices of European brandies, essentially cognac, failing which they would impose anti‑dumping taxes of up to 34.9 percent.