Sovereign Prince meets President of People's Republic of China

The two heads of state described bilateral relations between the countries as excellent. The President welcomed the broadcast of Chinese channel CCTV on the Principality’s cable network and expressed an interest in further developing cultural exchanges. He commented that he was pleased to see that the Chinese language was increasingly being studied by pupils at Monaco’s schools, and said that he hoped that there would be more joint projects in the fields of education and culture, particularly based around celebrations in 2015 of the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The President recalled that he had visited Monaco in 1985, and paid tribute to the action taken by the Principality on environmental issues and sustainable development. He highlighted the work carried out by the Prince Albert II Foundation and noted that the relevant Chinese authorities were carefully considering the proposal to open a representative office for the Foundation in China.

After H.S.H. Prince Albert II talked about the project to complete a round-the-world flight in the solar aircraft “Solar Impulse”, which is supported by the Principality and the Foundation, and whose mission control centre is based in Monaco, the President indicated that he hoped that the aircraft’s crossing of China would be actively studied in a positive light, given that the project is exemplary in its promotion of renewable energy.

Finally, discussions covered the Olympic spirit and H.S.H. Prince Albert II’s role within the IOC. The President stressed his hope that young people in China would be inspired by the sportsmanship and Olympic ideals of the Youth Games, and noted the country’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.