French Impressions: France Through the Eyes of a Diplomat

Author: Xu Bo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: My five years of diplomatic work in France are just one chapter in my long 18-year diplomatic career, but this chapter is not like any other, because I participated in many important events in Sino-French exchanges. I feel lucky to have been involved in the entire Sino-French Cultural Year, and I am even more proud to have served as a protocol officer for President Hu Jintao’s visit to France three times. As a diplomat, my view of France may not be unique, but it is distinctive and sincere, because I am narrating the people and events I have experienced with my heart. The diverse and inclusive French culture has made me fall in love with cultural dialogue—whether as a profession or as a way of life. Through the French sense of romance lies a precious imagination and a deep love for life. I compare French culture to a yeast in the treasure trove of world culture because, though small, yeast has a powerful fermenting effect. It allows 99% of the world’s population to marvel at the culture of less than 1% of the world’s population. From its long history and culture to the shared diplomatic philosophy of a multipolar world, the great scholar Gu Hongming once said, “France is the Chinese in Europe.” This best captures my experience in French diplomacy. The Sino-French Cultural Year is both a continuation of centuries of friendly exchanges between the two countries and the beginning of a new era of major exchanges. As the French proverb goes, “In this world, there are only two mountains that never meet—people are destined to communicate.”