France—China: The Clash of Two Worlds

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Features: In Beijing, 1687: Jesuit missionaries sent by Louis XIV arrived at the imperial palace of the Kangxi Emperor. A series of exchanges that followed fostered mutual curiosity between the two sides while also bringing about rich cultural exchange. In the 19th century, the imperialist France changed its policy toward China: when the French concessions were established in major Chinese cities, particularly in Shanghai, brutal acts such as the looting of the Old Summer Palace in 1860 completely destroyed cultural exchange between the two countries. In China, with the reform movement at the turn of the 20th century, France took on the image of the "mother of revolution." The "nation of rights and justice" welcomed workers and students, guiding them in political struggles. This, in turn, influenced French Maoists to join the "Cultural Revolution." Today, with China's reform and opening-up, a new form of cooperative, integrated, and complementary relationship has emerged between the two countries, highlighting their mutual and enduring attraction.