French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges as well as mutual understanding, to foster cooperation and jointly address global challenges, during his visit to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

Macron made the remarks while delivering a speech on Friday at Sichuan University in Chengdu and taking questions from students.

"In an interconnected world, we may feel we understand each other, yet this is often a superficial engagement," Macron said. "To truly comprehend one another, we must learn each other's languages, understand each other's civilizations and cultures, and engage in travel and exchanges."

The French president said he firmly believes that China and France are both great and brilliant civilizations, and that mutual respect and understanding form the foundation of their friendship.