President Xi Jinping's visit to Lyon will be an "excellent moment" for the French city to strengthen its historic links with China and to open up new perspectives in future relations, said Gerard Collomb, the city's mayor.

Xi arrived in Lyon, France's third-largest city, late on Tuesday. He will meet local academics and students at the Sino-French Institute, the first overseas institute established by China.

Xi will also visit the research center of Bio-Merieux, a French biotech company founded by Alain Merieux, one of the pioneers of Sino-French commercial relations.