The many firsts of President Xi's European tour

President Xi Jinping's first state visit this year saw him travel to Italy, Monaco, and France from March 21 to 26. During the visit there were several memorable firsts for the history books.

President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on their arrival in Rome, Italy on Thursday, March 21, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

Italy became the first country in the G7 to join the Belt and Road Initiative with the signing of a memorandum of understanding witnessed by President Xi and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

President Xi Jinping and Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte hold talks in Rome, Italy on Saturday, March 23, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Li Xueren]

In another first, President Xi and Prime Minister Conte also witnessed the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between China and Italy for the repatriation of cultural relics. The agreement signed in Rome on Saturday will see 796 artifacts returned to China. It will be the largest repatriation of lost Chinese cultural relics over 20 years.

Hundreds of cultural relics are being repatriated from Italy. [Photo: CCTV screenshot]

President Xi's visit to Monaco was the first by a Chinese head of state. During the visit, President Xi held talks with Prince Albert II, Monaco's head of state, on strengthening bilateral ties. President Xi's state visit to Monaco reflects China's philosophy of treating all countries equally regardless of their size.

The national flags of China and Monaco in front of the Royal Palace in Monaco on Sunday, March 24, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

A copy of the first French translation of "An Introduction to the Analects of Confucius", published in 1688, was presented to President Xi as a gift to China from French President Emmanuel Macron when the two met on Sunday in Nice. The only other copy of this edition is kept at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris. The gift reflects the longtime friendship between China and Europe, said a commentary in the French daily Le Parisien.

A copy of the first French translation of "An Introduction to the Analects of Confucius" is given to President Xi as a gift to the nation by French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice, France on Sunday, March 24, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

This week also saw the first time that leaders of China, France, Germany and the European Union Commission met for a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France. The meeting was attended by President Xi, President Macron, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. President Xi said that China is willing to cooperate with other countries to safeguard world peace, security, and stability, and to uphold multilateralism and free trade. Leaders from Europe agreed the meeting is a positive signal that EU and China are willing to contribute to the work of safeguarding multilateralism.

President Xi Jinping meets with President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France in Paris on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Ju Peng]

Italy's joining of the Belt and Road Initiative, the return of hundreds of cultural relics from Italy, the state visit by President Xi to Monaco, and the global governance forum are clear signs of attempts by both China and the EU at actively building a partnership for peace, growth, reform and progress of civilization.

President Xi Jinping meets with President Macron, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France in Paris on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua/Ju Peng]