Students from China and France hold a huge mural featuring pandas and kites to advocate environmental protection at an event in Paris on Sunday. The event, including photo exhibits and films, was among a series of activities to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic ties. (Global Times/Cao Siqi)

After meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Monday, and is scheduled to hold talks with Macron and expected to sign bilateral agreements.

Chinese analysts said Xi's visit to France highlights the stability and continuity of bilateral relations and shows China's efforts to convey to the European Union its peaceful intent that China's economic and political policies are based on its domestic situation and that China is willing to conduct sincere negotiations and dialogue on divergences between China and Europe.

Xi's visit comes in a year that marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations.

Chinese national flags were seen in the streets and at buildings in Paris to welcome Xi.

French politicians, businesspeople and overseas Chinese in Paris hailed Xi's visit, saying it will significantly improve bilateral relations and bring more opportunities to China-France trade.

Over 1,000 Chinese students in France held banners and Chinese national flags at France's famous Arc de Triomphe to welcome Xi.

Intangible Cultural Heritage representatives from North China's Shanxi Province brought paper-cuttings and lacquer ware to Paris to welcome Xi and commemorate the anniversaries.

Macron's welcome of Xi in Nice on Sunday was interpreted by Chinese experts as a grand welcome to show France's sincerity and positive attitude toward the talks.

In his meeting with Macron on Sunday, Xi stressed the importance of maintaining a sound China-France relationship to both countries' long-term development and its potential impact on the world, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi noted that France is the first major Western country to establish official diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

France, he added, is also the first country to form a strategic partnership and conduct strategic dialogue with China and the first to carry out civilian nuclear energy cooperation with China.

Xi called on the two countries to constantly explore new fields of cooperation, nurture new growth areas for cooperation, and speed up the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and third-party cooperation projects that have been agreed on, Xinhua reported.

Recalling his successful visit to China last year, Macron said that France pays high attention to the Belt and Road Initiative, regards China as an important strategic cooperation partner, and appreciates China's important role in and contribution to climate change and other international affairs, Macron said.

Xi's visit highlights the stability and continuity of bilateral relations, Cui Hongjian, director of EU Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday, noting that the strategic relationship is bringing the two sides together at a time when the world is undergoing major changes, and the next step is to reach a consensus on concrete projects.

Buon Tan, who was elected to the French National Assembly in 2017 and is considered a key French politician to Macron's Asia strategies, told the Global Times that the Chinese president's visit was eagerly awaited.

It will be an opportunity to discuss topics related to geopolitical balance including the relationship between Europe and China, multilateralism, the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative strategy and the commitment to solve climate change. "Many positive results are yet to come but I am sure that this visit will be a great success," he said.

Easing concerns

Analysts noted that along with deeper cooperation, Europe is showing greater anxiety about China and Xi's visit will help ease such concerns.

"China's economic and technological development, such as in the telecom industry [for example, Huawei's 5G technology] has challenged Europe's old view of a bilateral trade structure. They feel a sense of alienation in their ascendancy," Sun Keqin, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Monday.

However, in fact, Europe still has great advantages. China has always been stressing on cooperation and will make efforts to enhance Europe's understanding of China, Sun said.

Meanwhile, the rise of China is an irreversible trend that Europe should adapt to. Xi's visit is a great opportunity for Europe to know more about China. Only after Europe accepts the rise of China could the two sides cooperate further, Sun pointed out.

On Monday, a joint seminar on global governance, held by China and France, held its opening ceremony, which will discuss the two countries' interconnection and developments, multilateralism, digital governance and climate change, as well as biodiversity protection.

Chen Xin, research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the Belt and Road Initiative and Europe's EuroAsia Interconnector are platforms to people of both sides. China can share its technology and experiences in the effective implementation of infrastructure construction, such as the high-speed railway system.

China and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council, which means they both shoulder the responsibility of global governance. The platform is a key framework for them to promote multilateralism, said Chen.

Analysts noted that China and France have the potential for future cooperation in nuclear energy and aerospace.

China-France Oceanography Satellite, known as the CFOSat, took off on October 29, 2018 and gathered a large amount of marine environmental data.