A crowd of well-wishers gathered by the roadside of the airport in Tarbes, France to warmly welcome visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, who landed in the southwestern French commune on Tuesday.
Xi arrived in Tarbes, located in the Hautes-Pyrenees Department, as part of his ongoing state visit to the European country.
Accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, Xi was met by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, at the airport.
The welcoming crowd, with Chinese and French national flags, lined the streets and cheered Xi's motorcade as it departed from the airport.
Xi, who arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon, is currently on a state visit to France at the invitation of Macron. The Chinese president is also set to visit Serbia and Hungary in the coming days.
Well-wishers gather to welcome Xi's arrival in Tarbes
The Central Asia Park was opened on Sunday in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an one year after the first China-Central Asia Summit, to showcase the strengthening of regional cooperation.
The park is located near the Xi'an International Exhibition Center, one of the venues for the 2023 China-Central Asia Summit. Sculptures of horses and camel caravans decorate the approximately 53-hectare park, symbolizing the prosperous exchanges over centuries and the beautiful vision of joint development between China and Central Asian countries.
The building at the main entrance of the park is called "Silk Road Meeting Room" and displays gifts from Central Asian countries, including traditional costumes from Kazakhstan and sculptures of "bow shooting" from Kyrgyzstan.
Visitors can buy specialties including snacks and honey from Central Asian countries in the park's shop.
Xi'an is a historical city founded about 3,100 years ago. Formerly known as Chang'an, it is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, which saw flourishing interactions between China and Central Asia.
The China-Central Asia Summit, held in the city in May 2023, was the first summit held offline by the leaders of the six countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five Central Asian states 31 years ago.
Central Asia Park opens in northwest China, highlighting regional cooperation
