PARIS: Areva will seek partnerships with Chinese energy companies that could see them take stakes in the French nuclear reactor maker in an upcoming multi-billion euro capital increase, its chairman told the Journal de Dimanche. Areva, which is 85 per cent owned by the French state, said on Thursday that it would need a capital increase of at least 3.4 billion euros to help meet funding needs through 2017 and dig out from four years of losses amid a global downturn in the nuclear sector. After months of negotiations, it also on Thursday agreed to sell a majority stake in its nuclear reactor division to utility EDF for 2.7 billion euros to bring in some much-needed cash. The French state has signalled it will contribute to the capital increase at Areva, but has misgivings about the amount of money that Varin has demanded, said the JDD.