Xi congratulates France's president-elect Macron

Chinese President Xi Jinping today congratulated France's president-elect Emmanuel Macron and said both countries share a "responsibility toward peace and development in the world" and expressed readiness to move the strategic Sino-French partnership to a "higher level".
"China stands ready to work with France to move the strategic Sino-French partnership to a higher level," Xi said in a congratulatory note, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Recalling that France was the first Western power to establish diplomatic relations with Communist-ruled China in 1964, Xi said the two countries share a "responsibility toward peace and development in the world."
Chinese official media also hailed Macron's victory as a win against a "populism trend" following US President Donald Trump's election last year.

"It may be too early to conclude that today's peak of popularism in world politics is beginning to wane. However, in the US, although Trump is considered by some critics to be a populist, he only enjoys limited presidential power under the system of checks and balances that are engrained within his position of power. Many of his policies, especially foreign policies, have returned to mainstream and conventional tracks that have always been in line with America's established traditions," the Global Times said.
"In France, Le Pen, nicknamed the "French Trump," was decisively defeated by Macron, a novice in the world of politics," it added.

"Years later when we look back upon this election, we may find that France made a wise choice for human civilisation in helping to keep it moving forward at such a crucial time, rather than setting it back," it said.
China had maintained good relations with France during the five-year term of President Francois Hollande unlike his predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, who angered Beijing by meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.