Twenty-two children from southwest China have visited Paris and Montpellier in France to explore major achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative in Europe. 

The teenagers, known as "kid reporters," are from the provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan. 

Their visit is part of a national program to enhance mutual understanding and bring different cultures closer together. 

In Paris, they toured the city's landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. They also went to the Chinese embassy in the capital in a bid to explore the latest outcomes of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

While answering questions posed by the "kid reporters," Li Shaoping, cultural counselor at the  embassy in France, highlighted closer cooperation between China and France in culture, education and infrastructure construction. 

In Montpellier, a city near the south coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, the teenagers visited the new City Hall and talked with its mayor Philippe Saurel on its overall growth and connections with China.

In 1981, Montpellier established formal links with Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan. Since then, the two cities have held frequent exchanges as cooperation expanded from healthcare to culture, education, trade and sports. 

Saurel recalled his previous visits to Sichuan, known as the land of abundance, and the hometown of giant pandas. He pledged to shore up relations with China at all levels in the near future.