French President Emmanuel Macron visits Sichuan University in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 5, 2025. (Photo by Liu Yuchen/Xinhua)

French President Emmanuel Macron has stressed the importance of cooperation and mutual understanding in tackling contemporary challenges during a speech he delivered at a university in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Macron has wrapped up his three-day state visit to China, during which he delivered a speech at the Chengdu-based Sichuan University on Friday.

Macron noted that humanity is experiencing a profound transition in habits, lifestyles, and landscapes. He emphasized the necessity of not only cooperating but also fostering mutual understanding, getting to know one another, and engaging in collective reflection to develop practical solutions for pressing issues like the climate crisis.

Humanity has the capacity to go beyond borders to develop the same agenda for peace, prosperity, and climate, with respect and a sense of responsibility, which allows humanity to move forward, Macron added.

In recent years, Sichuan University has established and deepened cooperative partnerships with a number of universities in France, including the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Paris Nanterre University, University of Toulouse, and National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations.

In 1981, Chengdu and the French city of Montpellier established a friendship city relationship, becoming the first pair of sister cities between China and France.

Following his visit to the university, Macron met with French paddlers who were competing in the 2025 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu on Friday afternoon. He played alongside the French players against the Chinese paddlers in a friendly match.