First Observation Moment | The heads of state of China and France continue to write the story of "Mountains and Flowing Waters"

In the mountainous area of ​​Nanfa, spring snow falls and streams gurgling. On May 7, local time, at the special invitation of French President Macron, President Xi Jinping left Paris by special plane for a visit to the Hautes-Pyrenees province in southwestern France.

The Hautes-Pyrenees department holds special significance for President Macron, as the provincial capital Tarbes is the home of his maternal grandmother. Inviting President Xi Jinping to gather here fully demonstrates President Macron's friendship and sincere respect for President Xi Jinping.

The reporter's lens recorded the vivid moment when the two heads of state and their spouses met again after the state event on May 6th——

At the "Shepherd's Station" at the Tourmalai Pass, President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan and President Macron and his wife Brigitte jointly enjoyed the shepherd's dance with a strong Southern French style performed by local villagers.

Unique interactions outside the capital have become a characteristic arrangement in the exchanges between President Xi Jinping and President Macron in recent years. The warm scene of the two heads of state and his wife gathering at the "Shepherd's Station" wrote a new page in the history of exchanges between China and France, fully demonstrating the temperature, height and magnanimity of China-France relations.

When President Macron visited China in April last year, President Xi Jinping met with him in the Guangzhou Pine Garden and enjoyed the guqin performance of "Mountains and Flowing Waters" - "Only a 'close friend' can understand this piece of music." President Xi Jinping's words to Macron The president was impressed. This time, the meeting was held again in the Nanfa Mountain area with gurgling streams, which was the continuation of the story of "Mountains and Flowing Waters".

From the "Night Talk in Nice" and "Tea Talk in Yuyuan" in 2019, to the "Pine Garden Meeting" in 2023, and then to the talk at Tourmalai Mountain Pass in 2024, the heads of state of China and France have spent wonderful and unforgettable time together time and time again. It has become a favorite story between the two countries and even the entire international community.

"Although China and France belong to Eastern and Western civilizations and have different values ​​and social systems, they both value exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations. The two sides can be harmonious but different, and make new contributions to world peace and development and human progress through dialogue and cooperation. ” President Xi Jinping’s words further explained the connotation of “meeting a close friend in high mountains and flowing water”.

The Tourmalai pass is about 2115 meters above sea level. The two heads of state and their spouses sat by the window, and the mountains in the distance looked like a continuous and majestic scene.

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an important role in strategic leadership in the development of bilateral relations. Small-scale, informal, family gathering-style interactions in places of special significance outside the capital, and in-depth communication around topics of common interest, can effectively deepen mutual understanding and enhance mutual trust.

Nice, where President Xi Jinping and President Macron met in March 2019, is a famous historical and cultural city in France; Shanghai, where they met in November of that year, is a window for China's reform, opening up, development and progress; and Guangzhou, where they will meet in April 2023, is the center of China's democratic revolution. The source of inspiration and the vanguard of China’s reform and opening up. In these places, the two heads of state discussed the past and the present with profound meaning.

During this talk at the Tourmalai Pass, President Xi Jinping told President Macron about the history of Chinese civilization of more than 5,000 years, that the Chinese have a strong sense of family and country, and that they particularly value and cherish the unity of the country, and that China will definitely be able to realize the Chinese nation. The great rejuvenation of the nation is another in-depth strategic communication between the two heads of state from the perspective of history and civilization.

"Through in-depth exchanges with Mr. President, I have further understood China's history, culture, concepts and development process, and have a deeper understanding of China's stance on important issues." President Macron said with sincere emotion.

When leaving, the local villagers sang the shepherd's song to thank President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan for their visit and warmly invited them to come again. The two heads of state and their wives cordially took photos with the villagers.

In spring and summer, the changeable weather in the mountains of Southern France is like the current international situation. Amidst the alternating changes of cloudy, sunny, rainy and snowy weather, the friendship between the Chinese and French heads of state was not affected in the slightest by the weather.

On the same day, President Macron and his wife not only went to Tarbes Airport to greet President Xi Jinping and his wife, but also accompanied President Xi Jinping and his wife from Tourmalai Pass back to Tarbes Airport after the event, and held a formal farewell ceremony. President Macron and his wife took President Xi Jinping and his wife to the aircraft ramp and hugged each other goodbye.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Looking back 60 years ago, against the background of the raging Cold War, the leaders of China and France resolutely made the historic decision to establish comprehensive diplomatic relations between China and France with extraordinary strategic vision. Over the past 60 years, despite the changes in the international situation, successive leaders of the two countries have "undaunted the clouds to obscure their vision" and viewed and handled bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, making China-France relations at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries for a long time.

As important representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, the relationship between China and France is of great significance to the harmonious coexistence between different human civilizations. As President Xi Jinping pointed out: "The friendship between China and France is not only a blessing to the Chinese and French people, but also a blessing to the people of the world." "As two major countries with independent spirits, China and France can burst out every encounter in the long history of history. Huge energy, affecting the direction of the world.”

"Independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win results" - during this visit to France, President Xi Jinping repeatedly talked about the original intention of establishing diplomatic relations between China and France. The trend of the times is vast. China and France cherish, inherit and carry forward this original intention, and also inject spiritual nourishment and positive power into the world.

General vision | Co-produced by domestic and international departments