A re-balance of trade between China and France will not be fully achieved by government decrees as concrete measures are also needed, said Fleur Pellerin, French minister for foreign trade, while on a visit to Beijing.

Pellerin, whose remit also includes tourism and French citizens overseas, said at a press conference at the Embassy of France to China Wednesday, that France proposed several practical measures to cut the huge trade deficit with China, such as increasing exports, satisfying the needs of Chinese consumers and cooperation in third countries and regions.

France's biggest bilateral trade deficit is with China, according to the Xinhua News Agency. In 2013, it accounted for approximately 40 percent of France's overall trade deficit.

The main purpose of Pellerin's trip is to promote bilateral trade cooperation and to aid access to the Chinese market for French companies.

"French exports could be expanded if there were more French enterprises doing business in China," she said, noting that she would maximize the effort from multiple institutions and agencies to help more French companies establish business relationships with China in the fields of food, wine, ecology and tourism.

"I suggest we expand our cooperation in tourism, which will bring potential opportunities to French companies," said Pellerin. "Although I have taken office for only two weeks, I found the fields like tourism, and entertainment industries could be our next focus."

A significant new area of cooperation with China will be collaborations in a third country, for example China and France teaming up to build a nuclear power plant in the UK, Pellerin said.

France could also share experience in energy-saving, emission reduction and public traffic optimization. 

When asked whether the ongoing Chinese anti-corruption campaign has had an influence on wine and luxury goods exports, Pellerin said it is an interesting challenge. 

"We hope our companies could look for opportunities in the markets such as attracting new consumers, especially the general consuming public, by strengthening their competitiveness and reaching customers' demand," she added.