Two nations mark 50th year of friendship

Relations continue to evolve amid trials in 21st century

When you step into the building of the old office of the late French president Charles de Gaulle in Paris, you immediately realize how connected he was with China.

On the wall of the hallway hangs a giant picture of a Chinese boy wearing an earphone and listening attentively to the audio guide at the exhibition on the life of the former French president held in Beijing 10 years ago when the two countries commemorated de Gaulle's momentous decision to recognize the new Chinese government in 1964.