Sarko visit live: follow it here

Nicolas Sarkozy became the first world leader to suggest that he might boycott the Beijing Olympics yesterday as Britain and France increased the pressure on China over Tibet.

President Sarkozy signalled that he may stay away from the opening ceremony in August unless the Chinese authorities exercised restraint in dealing with the Tibetan independence movement and opened talks with the Dalai Lama.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office yesterday hit out at China’s “violations” in Tibet and the “disappointing” lack of progress towards a peaceful resolution.

Its annual report on human rights said: “We continue to make clear our view that the best way to improve the situation in Tibet is through meaningful dialogue between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama and his representatives, without pre-conditions.”

However, Mr Sarkozy’s hint of a boycott, delivered on the eve of his state visit to Britain today, threatened to open a rift with Gordon Brown. It contradicts the position of British ministers, who have repeatedly rejected calls for a boycott of the opening ceremony.

Mr Sarkozy said that “all options were open” and that he would make a decision whether to go to Beijing depending on China’s response.

“Our Chinese friends must understand the worldwide concern that there is about the question of Tibet,” he said. “I don’t close the door to any option, but I think it’s more prudent to reserve my responses to concrete developments in the situation. I want dialogue to begin and I will graduate my response according to the response given by Chinese authorities.”

Mr Sarkozy’s comments will increase pressure on the Prime Minister to be more explicit about his demands with Beijing over Tibet. They also threatened to overshadow what London and Paris had hoped would be a turning point in Anglo-French relations after the ill-feeling of the Blair-Chirac years.

At the summit, in the Emirates Stadium in North London, new co-operation deals on nuclear energy and immigration will be signed. London and Paris are set to agree to harmonise regulations to make it easier and cheaper for new nuclear plants to be built on both sides of the Channel. The leaders are also expected to announce new schemes to use French expertise to train a new nuclear workforce in this country and co-operation over the construction of long-term waste facilities.

On immigration, British officials are hoping for a firm commitment from the French that they will not build a new reception centre for migrants, nicknamed Sangatte II, in Calais.

The package of agreed measures is also expected to include the joint chartering of flights to deport illegal migrants from Britain and France back to countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran — something raised by Mr Sarkozy in 2005. The French President will also brief Mr Brown privately on his plans to send 1,000 troops to Afghanistan and seek to win his support for further European defence co-operation.

Times Recommends

• 'New York has lost its edge'
• Copenhagen will fail – and quite right too
• More than 17,000 new underwater species found