The arts communities of China and France have both significantly benefited from continual fine arts exchanges between the countries. The exchanges have not only facilitated reciprocal cultural understanding, but also provided a solid foundation for future diverse art exchanges. This has been particularly evident over the past decade.

In 2014, "Ten Masterpieces of French Painting," a special exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, took place at the National Museum of China in Beijing. This special exhibition brought together ten exquisite paintings from several museums including the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, the Palace of Versailles and the Picasso Museum, boasting high artistic quality and historical value.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-French President Francois Hollande both wrote prefaces for the exhibition. In his preface, Xi Jinping stated that China and France both enjoyed profound histories, and the lessons the two civilizations have learned from each other have contributed to their friendship.

In the first half of the 20th century, several Chinese art masters integrated techniques of Western realism into traditional Chinese painting, expanding the horizons for the innovation and development of traditional Chinese art. Painters like Xu Beihong, Wu Guanzhong and Wu Zuoren studied in France, paving the way for a "Sino-Western synthesis" in modern Chinese art. Artists such as Zhao Wuji, Zhu Dequn and Xiong Bingming stayed in France, becoming cultural ambassadors for China and making outstanding contributions to the integration of the Chinese spirit in global art.

On March 27, 2014, during a speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, President Xi Jinping pointed out: "China's freehand oil painting is an innovative combination of traditional Chinese painting and Western oil painting, and the works of Xu Beihong and other masters have been widely acclaimed."

Known as the "bridge of cultural exchange between China and the world," the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) has also played a crucial role in the process of Sino-French art exchanges.

On May 21, 2023, two days before the 60th anniversary of NAMOC's founding, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter by veteran experts and artists from the art museum. Xi said in the letter that the NAMOC has witnessed China's thriving development in the fine arts. Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, it has achieved a great deal in collecting outstanding artworks, holding exhibitions, facilitating public education and promoting international exchanges.

Xi called on the NAMOC to develop itself into an art venue that enjoys national and even worldwide prestige that would enable the general public to appreciate fine artworks and improve their artistic literacy amid a new era, so as to make greater contributions to the prosperity and development of Chinese fine arts.

On May 23, "Beauty in the New Era," an exhibition series to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NAMOC, officially opened. The "Prosperity in Diversity" international art exhibition segment, featuring numerous artworks from France, drew the attention of the Chinese public. Over six decades, the NAMOC has held more than 5,500 influential art exhibitions and housed over 130,000 artworks of various types from China and abroad.

Besides introducing classic French art to China, the NAMOC has actively sent outstanding Chinese art to France. In 2016, a special exhibition took place at the China Cultural Center in Paris to commemorate the 55th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and decades of people-to-people exchanges. It featured an impressive collection of 36 paintings and sculptures, crafted by around 20 renowned Chinese artists, including Xu Beihong and Lin Fengmian.

In addition to these masters, young Chinese artists have also made a name for themselves in France. At the 158th Paris Salon in 2019, Chen Zhao's artwork "Blue Dream" stood out among thousands of entries and won an award.

Furthermore, the Croisements Festival has provided an opportunity and platform for cultural and artistic exchanges between the two nations. Founded in 2006, the Croisements Festival set out to showcase the cooperation achievements in art, music and other fields between China and France.

In April of this year, French President Emmanuel Macron attended the opening ceremony of the 17th Croisements Festival in Beijing. In his opening speech, Macron expressed his hope that Sino-French cultural exchanges would continue their historical legacy and innovating to create new projects for cultural exchange.