Xi and his wife meet French president and his wife

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

SHANGHAI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on Tuesday met with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron in Shanghai.

Upon arrival at the Yuyuan Garden, Macron and his wife were warmly welcomed by Xi and Peng. The two couples walked in the garden and enjoyed the scenery.

Xi said he welcomes Macron to visit China again and come to Shanghai for the first time.

"My wife and I choose the Yuyuan Garden to treat Mr. President and your wife so that you can appreciate the beauty of Chinese gardens and traditional Chinese culture," Xi said.

Different cultures can co-exist in harmony. As representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and France should respect each other, exchange with and learn from each other, Xi said.

France appreciates and welcomes China's further opening up, Macron said, adding France is committed to strengthening international cooperation and building an open world economy for mutual benefits.

Both countries boast splendid culture and advocate inclusiveness and mutual learning among different civilizations, Macron said.

They also watched performances of traditional Chinese operas.