Personally I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet President Xi Jinping and it will be the first time. My wife Héloïse met him two months ago at her office at the former Shougang industrial site now host to the headquarters of the Organizing Committee of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Beijing 2022. As French woman, taking part for the second time in the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in China, she was very honored to meet and exchange a few words in Chinese with President Xi on Chinese New Year Eve.

I am delighted by President Xi's visit to my country France and the Sino-French relationships under which my second stay in China in January 2018 began as I arrived as part of President Emmanuel Macron's first State visit in China. President Macron's choice of China for his first State visit in 2018 implied his willingness to actively strengthen bilateral relations.

And I could already feel a positive effect as I had the privilege to be received by Vice-President Wang Qishan in October 2018 as a Young Leader of the Sino-France Foundation.

The Chinese President's favorable answer to our President's invitation is a strong positive new step between our two countries.

I am also looking forward to President Xi's visit to the Principality of Monaco, a place which is very dear to me as it is where my taekwondo club is based.

The Prince of Monaco, whom I know for more than 20 years had the honor to be received by President Xi for the first time last year in September in Beijing. It was a historical moment and I managed to surprise Prince Albert by offering him a photo frame of President Xi and him a few hours after their meeting.

President Xi's interest in Europe is something we must also really wish for, especially at a time of geopolitical tensions around the world. So, I am looking forward to how President Macron will talk about Europe to President Xi and sincerely hope the clear definition of efficient relationships between China and Europe will continue. For us, the French, we will be selecting our European representatives in May this year and as a strong supporter of President Macron's political party En Marche, I hope our representatives will define a clear program regarding the Sino-European relationship to push forward at the European Parliament.

I sincerely hope these two visits will lead to the signing of new trade agreements in fields as vast and varied as R&D programs, innovation, new technologies, energy saving and environmental protection, aerospace and automotive industries, robotics but also exchanges in culture and sport.

More personally, I hope to meet President Xi Jinping both in Monaco and in France to help me achieve significant development in the projects I support, the first being the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have a talented pool of winter sport experts in France and in Europe that could transfer their expertise and contribute to the development of China as a new leading winter sports country. Prince Albert is himself a member of the International Olympic Committee and an Olympian who has taken part in five editions of the Winter Olympic Games (Calgary 1988; Albertville 1992; Lillehammer 1994; Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002) as member of the Monaco bobsleigh team.

In France, we have now more than 100 people working for the organization of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, and I wish to build strong links between the two committees.

President Xi 's sport policy is exemplary at such a big country's scale and I hope our governments will inspire each other for the successful organization of both Games and more generally to leave a strong legacy for the practice of sport by our people.

A second project I strongly support is the development in China of one of Prince Albert Foundations, Peace and Sport. The organization takes concrete action to prove the federating, educational and social impact of sport through sport diplomacy initiatives and field programs with the support of athletes nominated Champions for Peace how act worldwide. I wish to involve new sponsors and supporting individuals from China and at the same time nominate more Chinese athletes as ambassadors of the development of peace through sport. China has been one of the first countries to use the power of sport diplomacy, and with the development of the new Belt and Road Initiative which to my eyes is also a strong willingness to develop China diplomatic links with new countries; I strongly believe sport could be part of the project.

Pascal Gentil is a two-time French Olympic medalist in Taekwondo.

The author contributed this article to China Watch exclusively. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of China Watch.

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