Former French president Jacques Chirac Photo:IC

Condolences have poured in on Chinese social media after the death of former French president Jacques Chirac on Thursday, with many Chinese netizens hailing him as an old friend of the Chinese people who had contributed immensely to China-France ties.Chirac, who led Europe's second largest power from 1995 to 2007, died on Thursday at the age of 86, AFP reported.He "died this morning in peace, surrounded by his family," Frederic Salat-Baroux, Chirac's son in-law told French media.After leaving the Elysee Palace, Chirac had reportedly been hospitalized several times after suffering a stroke and lung infection, the Xinhua News Agency reported.Chirac is seen in China as an iconic figure in French politics. He helped maintain a special honeymoon period in China-France relations, and carried on the legacy of General Charles de Gaulle, observers noted."Former president Chirac passes away" was one of the top ten most searched topics on Chinese Twitter-like Weibo on Thursday night. Netizens remembered him as the Western country leader who understood China most, an old friend of China, and a great contributor to China-France relations.As the mayor of Paris in 1978, Chirac visited Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and became the first foreigner to visit the Terracotta Warriors, according to historical documents. He also expressed admiration of the Chinese poets including Li Bai and Du Fu, an ancient China's bronze ware and porcelain during his visits to China.Chirac once noted that the future influence of France in the world depended on its attitude toward building strong ties with China, according to French media."Chirac was the French president who truly loved Chinese culture and respected China, and he was one of the few who firmly predicted that China would be a superpower," Zheng Ruolin a columnist who lived in France for years, told the Global Times on Thursday.In 1997, Chirac and former Chinese president Jiang Zemin signed a joint statement to establish a full partnership between the two nations toward the 21st century. This was followed by frequent visits, booming trade and business and culture and education exchange programs, according to the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.From 2003 to 2005 during his presidency, China and France held the "Sino-French culture year" in turn. The two countries built a comprehensive strategic partnership when then President Hu Jintao visited France in 2004."He carried on the legacy of Charles de Gaulle, with an independent foreign policy that respected and recognized China. As a right-wing politician, Chirac also held practical views on handling China-France relations during his presidency," Cui Hongjian, director of EU Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday."It's not about how many times he visited China, but about his deep understanding about China's present and future trend," he said.Chinese netizens left messages like "R.I.P. China old friend…" "Chirac was among the few foreign politicians that I like" "He was the reason why I learned French" on social media forum.