Flight 180 to Shanghai

As much for politics and prestige as for profits, General Charles de Gaulle encourages French businessmen to go East. Last week two nationally owned French concerns, Renault and Air France, followed the flag with their francs and disclosed major agreements with Communist countries.

Only one month after Italy's Fiat agreed to help the Russians build a 600,000-cars-a-year Fiat plant, Renault announced it will help the Russians expand their Moskvich plant near Moscow from a current production of 80,000 or 90,000 cars a year to around 360,000 cars by 1970. Under a pact that is likely to be signed when De Gaulle visits Moscow later this month, the Russians will pay an estimated """ million to $100 million for Renault's equipment and know-how--on longterm, low-interest credit.

The French government also signed a deal with Communist China last week to fly one Air France plane, inevitably a U.S.-built Boeing, into Shanghai every week. Probably beginning in September, Air France Flight 180 will leave Paris on Mondays at 11 a.m., stop in Athens, Cairo, Teheran, Karachi and Pnompenh, and wind up in Shanghai at 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday. Air France does not expect to make money on the service, but by extending its route miles it will strengthen its claim to the slogan, "The world's largest airline."

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