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BEIJING/PARIS (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Emmanuel Macron on Monday for winning France’s presidential election and said China was willing to further ties between the two U.N Security Council permanent members, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

Xi said China was willing to work with France to push the close and comprehensive Sino-French strategic partnership to a higher level, according to Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

Macron was elected on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration, defeating Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the European Union.