Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 25, 2024, delivered a video speech to a reception in Beijing celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France.

The establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and France 60 years ago was a major event in the history of international relations. With extraordinary wisdom and courage, Chairman Mao Zedong (1893–1976) and General Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970) opened the door for exchanges and cooperation between China and the West, bringing hope to the world amid the Cold War (1947–1991), Xi noted.

Over the past 60 years, China-France relations have always been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries, bringing benefits to the two peoples and contributing to world peace, stability and development, Xi said.