Marceau's appearance on Chinese TV highlights ties

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Chinese audience will have the chance to savor the charm of French beauty at the 2014 Spring Festival Gala on Thursday, given that renowned actress and former "Bond girl" Sophie Marceau will sing on the show for the first time.

The film star's participation was confirmed by one of the gala's crew members.

Marceau is expected to sing the famous French song La Vie En Rose with Chinese singer Liu Huan, who studied French in college.

As a special show produced by China Central Television aired on the eve of Lunar New Year, the gala gets more than 700 million viewers every year.

Many view the performance as a tribute to the 50 years of friendship between Beijing and Paris. France established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China on Jan 27, 1964.

Hailed as "the rose of France", Marceau not only enjoys great popularity in Europe, but has won the hearts of Chinese audiences by her performances in films such as Fanfan,Braveheart and the 1999 James Bond thriller The World Is Not Enough.

Liang Guoxiong, a Chinese student at Catholic University of Lyon, said he will certainly watch the gala because of Marceau's performance.

"Marceau is a good choice as a China-France cultural ambassador because her beauty and personality best represent the French spirit, and Chinese people like her," Liang said.

Liang will stay in Lyon for the festival. He said that Chinese elements can be found everywhere in the third-largest French city due to the celebration of the anniversary.

"Many bookstores and libraries have been showcasing and promoting best-sellers from Chinese writers such as Han Han and Zhang Xiaoxian," Liang said.