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To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French diplomatic relations， Beijing Review conducted an exclusive interview with Jean-Pierre Raffarin， former Prime Minister of France and current Vice President of the French Senate. Over many years， Raffarin has become the essential link in relations between the two countries. Excerpts follow：
Beijing Review： What is your overall impression of Sino-French relations， at a time when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations？
Jean-Pierre Raffarin： Relations between China and France are excellent. The recent official visits were real successes and our strategic partnership is strong. We should put our economic exchanges on the same level as our political relationship. This is a priority for our common future. The 400 friendly events taking place this year will contribute to this.
You made your first trip to China in 1976 as part of a delegation with President Valery Giscard d’Estaing. What was your task at that time？ What was your first impression of China？
I had already been to Hong Kong and Macao in 1971. We were looking at the Chinese mainland from a distance. It was fascinating and mysterious. I was already sizing up the influence of the great Chinese people of this region. Then I crossed China in 1976， from Harbin to Guangzhou. It was a difficult period， but we had come to tell our Chinese friends that France loved their ancient and fascinating civilization， beyond the trials that China was going through at the time. I felt at ease immediately dealing with the Chinese people. Despite everything there was between us， I felt a sense of proximity， which never faded.
During your term as prime minister， economic and cultural relations between China and France developed rapidly， in a favorable political context. Which of the events made a particular impression on you？
I particularly remember the Year of Cultural Exchange in 2005， which contributed a lot to the friendship between our two peoples. I will never forget the red Eiffel Tower and the Shanghai TV Tower in blue， white and red. The establishment of the Airbus factory in Tianjin was also a big moment for me. I have a strong memory of the exceptional visit that President Hu made to Hotel Matignon， the prime minister’s residence. I often think of the courage of the people of Sichuan after the earthquake.
You were the best person to pass information between the French and Chinese sides when bilateral relations deteriorated between 2008 and 2009. How would you evaluate your role during that time？ From experience I had learned that it was best to be honest and direct with the Chinese authorities. Dialogue is often direct， so we need to understand that the Chinese don’t want to be hostages of our domestic debates. In the modern world， it is not possible to be a friend in China and an enemy when you go back to Europe. Therefore， when the West gives Western lessons to China through the Western media， the Chinese don’t appreciate it. I favored direct discussions， without an intermediary， making a choice of confidence. We worked well with [Premier] Li Keqiang to build mutual respect.
Chirac was passionate about Chinese bronze works， and you are interested in Chinese literature and poetry. Which ancient or contemporary writers and poets do you admire the most？
I really like the poetry of Du Fu， Bai Juyi， Li Bai and Meng Haoran [famous poets of the Tang Dynasty （618-907）]. I also like modern poetry， for example the poetry of my friend Li Zhaoxing. I love Fan Zeng’s portraits and Fan Yifu’s mountains and also Li Xin’s paintings... China has an infinite number of awe-inspiring things. Its museums are wonderful.
France was the first Western country to make sinology a full university discipline. What do you see as the strengths and advantages of sinology in France compared to other countries？ What role do French sinologists play in exchanges between our two countries and decision making on a governmental level？
Intellectuals such as Francois Jullien have demonstrated that ancient and profound Chinese thinking can help the 21st century world to better understand the reality it faces. The “complex thought” proposed by a thinker like Edgar Morin is not unrelated to Chinese culture. The paradoxical thinking in China helps us to live with our Western obsession with the absolute. Harmony is a growing aspiration in a number of societies.
China teaches us to write the word “truth”in the plural， whereas we had been used to putting it in the singular.
France was the first major Western power to establish diplomatic relations with China， but there are not as many economic and commercial exchanges between our two countries as there could potentially be. How can we reinforce the complementary nature of our two countries， and what are the future prospects？
A good way is to recover the balance in exchanges. We should attract more Chinese investment to France. As president of the annual forum of the France-China Committee， I do a lot of work in this area. There are very good prospects for mutual benefit in sectors like agriculture， energy， health and sustainable cities. We should make efforts to develop the role of SMEs （small and medium-sized enterprises） in our economic cooperation. For this reason， in October 2014 we will organize a FrancoChinese SME summit in Chengdu under the Western Fair framework， bringing together 1，000 companies from our two countries. That will be the strongest time economically in our celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations. It is reported that France is intending to enter into a currency swap agreement with China， which would allow Paris to become an offshore center for renminbi transactions capable of competing with London. When will this agreement come into being？ What do you think about it？ It’s an excellent initiative. We have been working on it very seriously. The Bank of China， which already has a presence in Paris， has made some interesting suggestions. I hope that this will be one of the good pieces of news to come out of the 50th anniversary.
How do you understand the notion of the“Chinese dream” put forward by the new leadership？
It is the ambition carried by the new Chinese Government. For us it is the pursuit of “reform and opening up” and at the same time it takes into account the emergence in China of a “civil society.” I see the idea of “inclusive growth” that we discussed at the Boao Forum in the presence of President Xi Jinping.
How has this concept been presented in France？
Dreams are always a powerful idea in romantic countries. We fully understand that unity is a strong value in Chinese politics， so it is necessary to put forward a vision—a concept that rallies the people together. The Chinese dream has been well received in France because it is a legitimate， non-aggressive ambition. There is a certain continuity between the Chinese dream and the concept of a “peaceful rise，” which is dear to the Chinese people.
In 2009， you launched a Chinese blog on ifeng.com. You also use Weibo to communicate with Chinese Internet users directly. What prompted you to open an account？ Do you have any interesting anecdotes that you can tell us？
I pay a lot of attention to Chinese society. It will have a bigger influence on the world in the future. I am trying to explain to young people in France that their future will be shared with Asia， just like there was a piece of America in the lives of my generation. The Internet provides a good view of the reality of Chinese society. I particularly appreciate the sensibility and the humor of Chinese Internet users.
Can you sum up your career and your experience with China？
I spent a third of my professional life working in business， a third was dedicated to regional and national responsibilities （as a regional president and as prime minister）， and I mostly dedicated the final third to international affairs （as vice president of the Senate responsible for the international delegation， the Boao Forum and the France-China Committee）.
Last year I visited China six times. I am now familiar with many regions of China. I went on a cruise on the Yangtze River with my wife， who is learning Chinese. I am no longer able to count the number of times I have visited China. I am always preparing for the next trip.
Can you say something in honor of the twin cities between China and France？
After I was elected president of the PoitouCharentes Region （Cognac Country）， I built a relationship with Nanning in Guangxi， which was very helpful. There are several relationships between French and Chinese cities that are working very well at the moment. It is a good way to cooperate. The annual roundtable of Chinese and French mayors will take place this spring in Lille. Decentralized cooperation is a modern form of partnership.
Beijing Review： What is your overall impression of Sino-French relations， at a time when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations？
Jean-Pierre Raffarin： Relations between China and France are excellent. The recent official visits were real successes and our strategic partnership is strong. We should put our economic exchanges on the same level as our political relationship. This is a priority for our common future. The 400 friendly events taking place this year will contribute to this.
You made your first trip to China in 1976 as part of a delegation with President Valery Giscard d’Estaing. What was your task at that time？ What was your first impression of China？
I had already been to Hong Kong and Macao in 1971. We were looking at the Chinese mainland from a distance. It was fascinating and mysterious. I was already sizing up the influence of the great Chinese people of this region. Then I crossed China in 1976， from Harbin to Guangzhou. It was a difficult period， but we had come to tell our Chinese friends that France loved their ancient and fascinating civilization， beyond the trials that China was going through at the time. I felt at ease immediately dealing with the Chinese people. Despite everything there was between us， I felt a sense of proximity， which never faded.
During your term as prime minister， economic and cultural relations between China and France developed rapidly， in a favorable political context. Which of the events made a particular impression on you？
I particularly remember the Year of Cultural Exchange in 2005， which contributed a lot to the friendship between our two peoples. I will never forget the red Eiffel Tower and the Shanghai TV Tower in blue， white and red. The establishment of the Airbus factory in Tianjin was also a big moment for me. I have a strong memory of the exceptional visit that President Hu made to Hotel Matignon， the prime minister’s residence. I often think of the courage of the people of Sichuan after the earthquake.
You were the best person to pass information between the French and Chinese sides when bilateral relations deteriorated between 2008 and 2009. How would you evaluate your role during that time？ From experience I had learned that it was best to be honest and direct with the Chinese authorities. Dialogue is often direct， so we need to understand that the Chinese don’t want to be hostages of our domestic debates. In the modern world， it is not possible to be a friend in China and an enemy when you go back to Europe. Therefore， when the West gives Western lessons to China through the Western media， the Chinese don’t appreciate it. I favored direct discussions， without an intermediary， making a choice of confidence. We worked well with [Premier] Li Keqiang to build mutual respect.
Chirac was passionate about Chinese bronze works， and you are interested in Chinese literature and poetry. Which ancient or contemporary writers and poets do you admire the most？
I really like the poetry of Du Fu， Bai Juyi， Li Bai and Meng Haoran [famous poets of the Tang Dynasty （618-907）]. I also like modern poetry， for example the poetry of my friend Li Zhaoxing. I love Fan Zeng’s portraits and Fan Yifu’s mountains and also Li Xin’s paintings... China has an infinite number of awe-inspiring things. Its museums are wonderful.
France was the first Western country to make sinology a full university discipline. What do you see as the strengths and advantages of sinology in France compared to other countries？ What role do French sinologists play in exchanges between our two countries and decision making on a governmental level？
Intellectuals such as Francois Jullien have demonstrated that ancient and profound Chinese thinking can help the 21st century world to better understand the reality it faces. The “complex thought” proposed by a thinker like Edgar Morin is not unrelated to Chinese culture. The paradoxical thinking in China helps us to live with our Western obsession with the absolute. Harmony is a growing aspiration in a number of societies.
China teaches us to write the word “truth”in the plural， whereas we had been used to putting it in the singular.
France was the first major Western power to establish diplomatic relations with China， but there are not as many economic and commercial exchanges between our two countries as there could potentially be. How can we reinforce the complementary nature of our two countries， and what are the future prospects？
A good way is to recover the balance in exchanges. We should attract more Chinese investment to France. As president of the annual forum of the France-China Committee， I do a lot of work in this area. There are very good prospects for mutual benefit in sectors like agriculture， energy， health and sustainable cities. We should make efforts to develop the role of SMEs （small and medium-sized enterprises） in our economic cooperation. For this reason， in October 2014 we will organize a FrancoChinese SME summit in Chengdu under the Western Fair framework， bringing together 1，000 companies from our two countries. That will be the strongest time economically in our celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations. It is reported that France is intending to enter into a currency swap agreement with China， which would allow Paris to become an offshore center for renminbi transactions capable of competing with London. When will this agreement come into being？ What do you think about it？ It’s an excellent initiative. We have been working on it very seriously. The Bank of China， which already has a presence in Paris， has made some interesting suggestions. I hope that this will be one of the good pieces of news to come out of the 50th anniversary.
How do you understand the notion of the“Chinese dream” put forward by the new leadership？
It is the ambition carried by the new Chinese Government. For us it is the pursuit of “reform and opening up” and at the same time it takes into account the emergence in China of a “civil society.” I see the idea of “inclusive growth” that we discussed at the Boao Forum in the presence of President Xi Jinping.
How has this concept been presented in France？
Dreams are always a powerful idea in romantic countries. We fully understand that unity is a strong value in Chinese politics， so it is necessary to put forward a vision—a concept that rallies the people together. The Chinese dream has been well received in France because it is a legitimate， non-aggressive ambition. There is a certain continuity between the Chinese dream and the concept of a “peaceful rise，” which is dear to the Chinese people.
In 2009， you launched a Chinese blog on ifeng.com. You also use Weibo to communicate with Chinese Internet users directly. What prompted you to open an account？ Do you have any interesting anecdotes that you can tell us？
I pay a lot of attention to Chinese society. It will have a bigger influence on the world in the future. I am trying to explain to young people in France that their future will be shared with Asia， just like there was a piece of America in the lives of my generation. The Internet provides a good view of the reality of Chinese society. I particularly appreciate the sensibility and the humor of Chinese Internet users.
Can you sum up your career and your experience with China？
I spent a third of my professional life working in business， a third was dedicated to regional and national responsibilities （as a regional president and as prime minister）， and I mostly dedicated the final third to international affairs （as vice president of the Senate responsible for the international delegation， the Boao Forum and the France-China Committee）.
Last year I visited China six times. I am now familiar with many regions of China. I went on a cruise on the Yangtze River with my wife， who is learning Chinese. I am no longer able to count the number of times I have visited China. I am always preparing for the next trip.
Can you say something in honor of the twin cities between China and France？
After I was elected president of the PoitouCharentes Region （Cognac Country）， I built a relationship with Nanning in Guangxi， which was very helpful. There are several relationships between French and Chinese cities that are working very well at the moment. It is a good way to cooperate. The annual roundtable of Chinese and French mayors will take place this spring in Lille. Decentralized cooperation is a modern form of partnership.