Chinese president ends France trip on personal note
ON the last day of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to France, his engagement with French President Emmanuel Macron took on a more personal tone.
In Tarbes, nestled in the Hautes-Pyrenees Department of France, a locale dear to Macron from his childhood, the two heads of state, wearing no ties, on Tuesday enjoyed a traditional folk dance performance, shared a meal, and chatted in a relaxing and cordial atmosphere.
Such amicable interactions, arranged after the packed previous day of talks and meetings, allowed the two leaders more time for deeper understanding of each other as well as the country and people they represent.
The French hospitality in the Pyrenees was reminiscent of the informal talks between Xi and Macron in April 2023 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
The two leaders then strolled through a southern Chinese garden, had tea by the water, and listened to a live performance of the ancient Chinese music piece “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” which represents cherished friendship in Chinese culture.
Macron on Tuesday recalled his visit to China last year, especially the meeting at the Pine Garden in Guangzhou which left him with a deep and wonderful impression.
He said that through indepth exchanges with Xi, he learned more about China’s history, culture, philosophy, and development process and gained a deeper understanding of China’s position on important issues.
The two leaders had a similar interaction in March 2019 in the French city of Nice, where Macron received Xi at Villa Kerylos, a centuryold house overlooking the Mediterranean and seen as a microcosm reflecting European civilization.
Later, in November, Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, met with Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, in Yuyuan
Garden in Shanghai. The location was chosen so that the Macrons “can appreciate the beauty of Chinese gardens and traditional Chinese culture,” Xi said then.
On Monday, the two leaders exchanged gifts before having talks at the Elysee Palace, the office and residence of the French president.
Both leaders selected books as gifts. Macron gave Xi rare volumes by Victor Hugo, and a copy of “Linguae Sinarum Mandarinicae hieroglyphicae grammatica duplex,” a Chinese language grammar book published in 1742 by French scholar and Orientalist Etienne Fourmont. Xi gifted Macron Chinese translations of French novels.
(Xinhua)