Some human rights groups and French politicians are planning to protest against the visit of President Hu Jintao when he arrives to address the French National Assembly this afternoon.
A spokesman for the Paris office of Amnesty International said his group, Reporters Without Borders and the League of Human Rights would demonstrate against China's use of the death penalty, violations of human rights and the oppression of national minorities, including the Muslim Uygur population on the mainland.
Amnesty International says China sentences more people to death than any other nation in the world. The group is also concerned about the blocking of internet websites on the mainland.
Although the organisations would not be sending large numbers of demonstrators, the Amnesty spokesman said they would be 'important activists'.
Francis Perrin, president of Amnesty International France, was quoted yesterday as saying: 'French officials often remind us that France is the homeland of human rights.'
During Mr Hu's visit, he said, 'the minimum is to broach the issue of human rights'.
Security for the visit is tight and police are likely to keep protesters as far away from Mr Hu as possible. Last Saturday, when a Tibetan flag went up near the VIP area during the Lunar New Year parade on the Champs Elysees, police rushed into the crowd and had it pulled down.