Xi, Macron exchange Olympic torches as gifts

Three Olympic torches stand side by side on an off-white marble table in the brightly lit Portrait Room of Elysee Palace.

PARIS, May 6 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, together with their spouses, exchanged gifts before the two heads of state held talks on Monday at Elysee Palace, the office and residence of the French president.

Among the gifts, three Olympic torches were particularly eye-catching, which stood side by side on an off-white marble table in the brightly lit Portrait Room of Elysee Palace.

What Xi presented to Macron were the Olympic torches of the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

In return, Macron gifted Xi an Olympic torch of the coming Paris Olympic Games. Paris will host the 33rd Summer Olympic Games from July to August.

France is a sporting power and China will send a high-level delegation to France to participate in the Games, Xi said with a smile, wishing the Paris Olympic Games every success.

On the same day, when jointly meeting the press with Macron, Xi once again expressed China's support for France in hosting a successful Paris Olympic Games.

Xi also pointed out that as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible major country, China is willing to launch an initiative with France calling for a worldwide truce during the Games.

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