PARIS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and many political figures conveyed their best wishes to all Chinese around the world celebrating the Spring Festival.
"To all those who celebrate the Lunar New Year in our country and in the world, I say: best wishes for this year under the sign of the Pig," Macron wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Speaking to Xinhua, former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said: "I wish all our Chinese friends a very happy New Year's Day. Happy New Year! Happy New Year of Pig !"
"The pig is a friendly animal ... that shows consistency... This animal is a good symbol of the energy that must be used today to develop our countries and find the prosperity that I wish to you," he added.
In a greeting letter, the president of the Ile-de-France region Valerie Pecresse, for her part, expressed "... to the Chinese people, overseas Chinese and in particular to the Chinese Community in France (her) best wishes for happiness, health and prosperity."
"Many celebrations of Chinese New Year in our French regions illustrate the extent and popularity of Chinese culture in our country," she said, adding that Ile-de-France "is proud to welcome the largest Chinese community in Europe, a hard-working and creative one."
Tuesday marked the first day of the Year of the Pig in the Chinese Zodiac, which is based on a twelve-year cycle and each year in that cycle is under a certain animal sign.
