Macron gifted with an oceanography satellite model

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French President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit to the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing on Wednesday, where he received a scale model of the China-France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) which is to be launched this year.

French President Emmanuel Macron./VCG Photo

Accompanied by Wu Yanhua, deputy director of China’s State Administration on Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, Macron also met the research and development team of CFOSAT. About 100 Chinese and French scientists have been working on the satellite's development for several years.

French President Emmanuel Macron received a scale model of CFOSAT./VCG Photo

As one main focus of bilateral cooperation between China and France, the new satellite is being jointly developed by the two countries. It is tasked with helping scientists observe ocean wave patterns and winds simultaneously. It is scheduled to be launched in the second half of this year and is in the final assembly stage, according to Wang Lili, manager of CFOSAT project.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with high school students of the French international school Charles de Gaulle of Beijing during a visit to the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing./VCG Photo

During Macron’s visit, he expressed his hope to forge a closer cooperation with China and to come together in fighting against global challenges such as climate change.