On October 28, 2024, Shen Xin, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), met with Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier, France, and his delegation at the CPAFFC.

Shen Xin conveyed CPAFFC President Yang Wanming's greetings to Mayor Delafosse and expressed appreciation for Montpellier's active engagement with China over the years in areas such as the economy, healthcare, culture, and sports. He particularly highlighted the fruitful exchanges between Montpellier and Chengdu, the first pair of sister cities between France and China, which have significantly contributed to fostering cooperation between localities in both countries. Shen reaffirmed the CPAFFC's commitment to building more bridges for people-to-people exchanges, practical cooperation, cultural interactions, and youth friendship. He expressed the CPAFFC's willingness to collaborate actively with Montpellier to bring the two peoples closer and ensure the steady growth of China-France relations.

Mayor Delafosse highly commended the CPAFFC for its outstanding contributions to promoting subnational pragmatic cooperation and the development of sister city relationships. He remarked on the vitality and potential of China-France exchanges, which he witnessed firsthand during his visit to China. As Mayor of Montpellier and President of the Cites Unis France, Delafosse expressed his commitment to working with the CPAFFC to deepen subnational cooperation between China and France, aiming for more practical and fruitful outcomes.