CCTV9英语新闻：中法两国将隆重庆祝建交五十周年（在线收听）

Fifty years ago, China and France established diplomatic ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his French counterpart Francois Hollande exchanged congratulatory messages on Monday and pledged to deepen bilateral relations.

Meanwhile,Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Zhang Dejiang and the visiting President of the French National Assembly Claude Bartolone attended a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to celebrate the anniversary. France was the first major Western country to establish formal diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.