A big day for China and France. French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a three-day state visit today, focusing on boosting ties between the two countries. The two sides are expected to sign multiple deals. CGTN's Sun Ye reports from Beijing.

SUN YE BEIJING "French President Emmanuel Macron is the first Western leader to visit China this year. And his first stop is Xi'an - famous for its Terracotta Warriors - and notably the starting point of ancient China's Silk Road. Paris says the French government is seeking to expand cooperation and business under China's Belt and Road initiative. To that end, Macron was expected to bring a business delegation of some 50 top French executives. The French leader will be in Beijing later Monday - where he will meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, as well as top legislator Zhang Dejiang."

GENG SHUANG CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON "The two heads of state will work together to boost political trust and cooperation. They will also work on a co-operational blueprint that covers many areas from trade to people-to-people exchanges. We anticipate the bilateral partnership advancing to new heights."

SUN YE BEIJING "For the past three months, we've seen a series of high-level exchanges between the two countries. China and France held their latest strategic Dialogue in December. Both sides agreed to ramp up cooperation in trade, nuclear power and manufacturing. The French Foreign Minister and Finance Minister also visited China at the end of 2017. Both sides agreed on cooperation in global finance and people-to-people exchanges. And we are expecting to see more cooperative deals inked during Macron's visit. After the U.S. retreated from the Paris Accord, France sees China and India as two close partners on dealing with Climate Change. On the Mid-east issue, China and France share the same view. They both supported a UN vote to neutralize Trump's decision on Jerusalem. Beijing says we can expect a whole host of international issues to be discussed during Macron's visit here. This visit is expected to boost the global influence of both leaders and create a stronger partnership between China and the European Union."