President Xi Jinping has said that Beijing and Paris are special friends, and the China-France relationship is a special one among the world's major countries.

Xi made the remark while toasting a welcoming banquet held by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Monday evening.

The relationship is special in that both countries are committed to the spirit of independence, he said.

Six decades ago, General Charles de Gaulle made the decision to establish diplomatic relations with New China against the backdrop of the Cold War, Xi noted, with the president's three-day state visit to France coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

Former French president Georges Pompidou was the first Western head of state to visit New China, and France was the first Western country to host an official visit by a leader of New China.

These highlights in China-France interactions are all attributed to the spirit of independence, which should be cherished and carried forward, Xi said.

This year has been designated as the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, and Xi emphasized mutual appreciation for the special relationship between Beijing and Paris.

Representing Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France have a fine tradition of mutual appreciation and mutual attraction, he said.

While the thinking of Confucius influenced people like the French writer and philosopher Voltaire and inspired the French Enlightenment, the Work-Study Movement of Chinese students in France early last century also helped cultivate a contingent of talent for the later revolution, development and reform in China, Xi said.

The two countries can use the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism as an opportunity to draw wisdom and nourishment from each other's culture, he said.

Xi pointed out that the China-France relationship is also special because both countries have a strong sense of responsibility.

History has proved time and again that China and France can work together for the betterment of the world, he said.

Amid global challenges and turbulence such as the Ukraine crisis, the Palestine-Israel conflict, economic recovery lacking momentum and climate change, China and France are duty-bound to shoulder greater responsibilities, he said.

Xi also said that he and Macron have agreed to deepen high-level mutual trust and cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination on major international issues to jointly inject hope into a confused world, and explore the way forward for human progress.

More interactions and more exchanges will build more consensus, he said, adding that with a fine tradition from the past, a good foundation of the present, and a blueprint for the future, the China-France relationship will embrace a spring of bloom and boom.

[email protected]