President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from the students and teachers of the Chinese language class at an international school in France's Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, encouraging them to contribute to promoting China-France and China-Europe relations.

While extending his best wishes to them as well as all the teachers and students of the school, Xi said that the Chinese language carries the legacy of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and each Chinese character embodies profound historical wisdom.

Learning Chinese not only helps one understand both the ancient yet modern China, but also helps build a bridge to a brighter future between China and France, he said.

Xi emphasized that they, along with more young people from France and Europe, are welcome to study, visit and travel in China to personally experience a true and panoramic view of China that is open and progressive, and make the Chinese language a lifelong companion in their growth.

Noting that this year marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese calendar, and the horse symbolizes resilience, courage and ambition, Xi expressed hope that the French students will take the lead and become pillars of China-France and China-Europe friendship and cooperation.

Xi's reply letter came after representatives of the students and teachers from the Chinese language class at the international school in France's Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur wrote to him recently, sharing their experiences of learning Chinese and their love for Chinese culture. They expressed their readiness to enhance exchanges between Chinese and French youths and to deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries.