Xi Jinping receives Tour de France Yellow Jersey from Macron

Xi Jinping will return to China from his visit to France with an original gift, which was given to him by Emmanuel Macron. He gave him the yellow jersey of the Tour de France leader, and he did it in a special place.

Such small gestures can forge great, friendly relations, even among the most important figures in global politics. During his joint visit to Col du Tourmalet, Emmanuel Macron presented his distinguished guest from China with an intriguing gift.

The choice of location for such a gift was also deliberate. Why? The Col du Tourmalet pass is iconic for the Tour de France, having been part of the race's route multiple times since its first inclusion in 1910.

"Our cooperation stems from sharing personal stories. It's a great pleasure to host you, President Xi Jinping, at the Tourmalet pass in the Hautes-Pyrenees. This place means a lot to me, just as Guangzhou means to you, reflecting the time you hosted me there" - Emmanuel Macron wrote in Chinese on Twitter for the occasion.

It is worth noting that President Macron and his wife previously visited China at the invitation of President Jinping.

"Col du Tourmalet, where we are hosting you, is a legendary site in our sport. We hope that over time, the Tour de France will see an increase in Chinese participants," Macron said, as quoted by naszosie.pl, during his brief speech.

Let's note that the Tour de France is set to begin on June 29, 2024, and run until July 21. This will be the 111th edition of this iconic race.

Interestingly, the finish line will not be at the Champs-Elysées in Paris for the first time in history but in Nice. This change is part of the preparations for the Olympic Games, which are scheduled to start in Paris on July 26.