Xi, Peng host France's presidential couple at Yu Garden in Shanghai

China and France, as major representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, should respect each other, promote exchanges and learn from each other, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

Xi made the remark when he and his wife, Peng Liyuan, met with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, on Tuesday night in Yu Garden, one of Shanghai's most renowned tourist attractions, with a history of more than 400 years.

Xi welcomed Macron, who is making his second visit to China and his first trip to Shanghai.

Shanghai is a microcosm of China's reform and opening-up and its development and progress, and the city also embodies the evolution of China's relations with the world in modern times, he said.

Xi said he and Peng chose Yu Garden as the place for the meeting because they hoped Macron and his wife would experience the beauty of Chinese gardens and Chinese traditional culture.