Xi, Macron continue key discussions in Pyrenees

President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron continued their in-depth engagement on key bilateral and multilateral issues on Tuesday when the two leaders met at Col du Tourmalet in southwestern France.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were welcomed by Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, upon their arrival at the airport in Tarbes.

The two couples took separate cars to the Pyrenees mountains, an area dear to President Macron for being the birthplace of his maternal grandmother. They watched traditional dancers perform under the snowy peaks and posed for a group photo with them, before sitting down for lunch at a local restaurant.

The engagement came as Beijing and Paris reached consensus on bolstering agricultural trade and cooperation during the Chinese president's three-day state visit to France.

According to a joint statement issued by the two nations during the visit, the two sides agreed to explore ways to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as crops, livestock, poultry, fruits and vegetables, smart agricultural equipment and climate change adaptation.

The two sides reaffirmed commitment to intensifying their agrifood partnership, with France expressing appreciation for the "French farm to Chinese dining table" initiative.