French Impressions: France Through the Eyes of a Chinese Diplomat

Author: Xu Bo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: My five years of diplomatic work in France is only a chapter in my long 18-year diplomatic career, but it is not the same chapter, because I participated in many important events in China-France exchanges. I feel lucky to have been involved in the entire China-France 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 unique 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-style romance lies a precious imagination and a deep love for life. I compare French culture to a yeast in the world's cultural treasure because, although small, yeast has a strong fermenting effect, making 99% of the world's population talk about 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 captures my greatest from my diplomatic work in France. The China-France Cultural Year is both a continuation of the hundreds of years 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 do not meet, and people are destined to communicate." The content of this book is rich and is based on the observations made by the author during his tenure in France. He shares his personal experiences in France, which will be very helpful for Chinese readers to understand France.