On March 26 local time, President Xi Jinping visited the BioMerieux Research Center in Lyon, France.

Upon arrival at the Center, Xi Jinping and his wife Mme. Peng Liyuan were warmly received by President of Merieux Group Alain Merieux, his family members and staff of the Center, who lined up to greet them. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Minister of Higher Education and Research Geneviève Fioraso from the French government were in company for the visit.

Xi Jinping listened to the introduction of the development of the Center. The old photographs represented the friendly exchanges between Merieux family and China for generations. Long before the establishment of diplomatic relationship between China and France, Alan Merieux's father-in-law actively promoted the cooperation in automobiles between the two countries and got praised by Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and other Chinese leaders of the older generations. Over the past several decades, BioMerieux Research Center has carried out cooperation with China in the fields of tuberculosis prevention and treatment, infection control, and prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases. Both sides have set up a base for production, research and development in Shanghai, and jointly established a P4 high-grade biosafety laboratory in Wuhan. In 2012, when Alain Merieux visited China, he was received by Xi Jinping, the then Vice President of China. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relationship, Alain Merieux serves as French Chairman of the Patronage Committee of the celebration. After the introduction, Xi Jinping said, I am glad to see that Merieux Group has made so much achievements in cooperation with China. I appreciate your contributions to promoting China-France friendly cooperation.

Xi Jinping toured around the exhibition room of the products, while listening to the introduction. Founded in 1963, the Center has now already developed into the world's leading enterprise in bacteriology and infectious disease diagnosis, and successfully developed a variety of vaccines with significant influence. Xi Jinping said, China is promoting the development of health care reform. The improvement of the public health and medical care service system is a major task. We are strengthening capacity building in major infectious diseases prevention and treatment so as to continuously improve the health of the Chinese people. China and France have close exchanges in the field of health and share broad prospects. It is hoped that the BioMerieux Group will continuously and actively promote China-France health cooperation, and work together with the people from all walks of life in both countries to compose a new chapter of China-France friendship.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others were in company during the visit.