The China Football Association (CFA) denied it was holding out for an 800,000-yuan (US$99,000) appearance fee to meet France in a soccer friendly, but said talks for a match were ongoing.

"Wherever you got that number from it didn't come from the CFA, we have never said anything like that," spokesman Dong Hua told AFP concerning a fee that the Chinese association was reportedly asking for.

Dong further refused to confirm that the two sides had tentatively agreed to hold a June 7 friendly near the French teams' training site in Germany ahead of the start of the World Cup finals a few days later.

"We are still in formal talks with the French side," Dong said, refusing further comment on Monday.

China, who failed to qualify for the World Cup finals, have been seeking friendly matches with participants in the tournament and have held several rounds of negotiations with the French Football Federation.

However Chinese press reports said the sticking point was China's demands for an 800,000-yuan appearance fee.

In comments carried earlier by the state-run Xinhua news service, Dong said China was not seeking an appearance fee, but indicated the national association wanted travel and other costs covered.

"You cannot say that the CFA is seeking an appearance fee," he said, according to Xinhua.

"The French team is a former World Cup holder, for us to have a chance to learn from a strong team like this is a very hard to come by opportunity.

"At the same time they are asking us to be the visiting team in the match and according to norms there is a question of costs of the appearance, this is normal."

According to local reports, France wants the friendly match up with China because the Chinese side share similar playing styles and tactics with South Korea, which are in Group G with France, Switzerland and Togo.

Brazil was also interested in a friendly match with China, due to China's similar playing style to Japan, which it will meet in group play, other reports said.

"As far as a match with Brazil, no formal talks have been held with the CFA, but there might be some talks going on with our agents," Dong said.

(AFP via China Daily January 10, 2006)